According to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, 84 of its members between have lost their lives in May and August 2024 as a result of the economic hardship and unpaid salaries.
The Union’s President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, made this known while speaking on Channels Television’s socio-political programme “Inside Sources”.
He stated that; “In the past three months, from May to August 2024, Nigerian universities lost 84 academics to death because of what our people are going through,”.
While highlighting the sorry state of most university staff, Osodeke decried government’s lack of commitment in paying salaries, implementing policies such as fuel and electricity price hikes amid ongoing financial struggles.
The ASUU president frowned at the Federal Government’s “no-work, no-pay” policy, which he lamented over its impact salaries during strikes, stating, “Despite this crisis, you are holding somebody’s three-and-a-half or more salaries on the no-work, no-pay. People are trying to survive, and everything is gone now.”
While calling for increased funding for university education, stressing that to ensure the sector’s optimal functioning, lecturers must be adequately compensated.
Osodeke noted that, after 15 years as a professor, he earns only N420,000 per month, making it clear that Nigerian lecturers cannot compete globally without better financial support.
