The Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Prof. Kabiru Bala, Zaria, has called on unions and other key stakeholders to advocate for the full implementation of retirement benefits for professors.
This appeal was made during the university’s inaugural lecture series Number 04/24, on Saturday.
The lecture, titled “The Political Benefits of Public Employee Benefits in Nigeria: The Proletarianization of the Elite,” highlighted the legal provisions that entitle professors who have served for 20 years to retire with full salary and benefits. Prof. Bala noted that despite these provisions, the law has not been implemented.
“I don’t know whether our unions are aware of this problem, because it has not been implemented,” Prof. Bala said.
He emphasized the importance of unions and stakeholders taking action, pointing out that many colleagues at the university are not receiving these benefits.
Prof. Bala congratulated Prof. Isa Abbas and the Faculty of Social Sciences for organizing the lecture.
He added that previously, any lecturer retiring at the rank of Professor received full salary regardless of how long they had held the rank.
However, this policy was changed during negotiations between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
The revised agreement now requires a professor to have held the rank for 10 years to receive full retirement benefits.
Prof. Nasiru Musa-Yauri, Vice-Chancellor of Al-Qalam University Katsina and a former union leader at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, corroborated this information.
He noted that the change in policy has impacted the retirement benefits of many professors.
During the lecture, Presenter Prof. Isa Abbas discussed the findings of his study, which explored the relationship between state and economy and the political implications of employee benefits.
Prof. Abbas argued that the government’s failure to provide adequate employee benefits has led to frustration among public employees, contributing to violence, insurgency, and terrorism.
“The rise in antisocial vices is a result of the government’s failure to provide benefits to workers,” Prof. Abbas said.
He explained that the lack of adequate benefits and incentives has led to the proletarianization of the middle-class elite, including intellectuals, professionals, and industrialists, reducing them to a level of begging for salaries.
Prof. Abbas urged the government to stabilize institutions and ensure that adequate benefits are provided to those who deliver services to society, highlighting that this would improve service delivery across various sectors.
