The Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Maiduguri chapter, on Tuesday protested against the N150,000 retirement benefit for professors and university staff, describing it as a “national disgrace.”
Speaking shortly after a one-hour protest at the institution’s campus, the UNIMAID Chairman of ASUU, Dr. Abubakar Mshelia, said treating intellectuals with such disregard cannot result in meaningful progress in Nigeria.
He said, “Professors who have dedicated over four decades to educating generations retire on a meagre N150,000 under the contributory pension scheme, while inflation exceeds 21 per cent.
“This is not just a labour issue; it is a national disgrace. A country that treats its intellectuals with such disregard cannot expect meaningful progress.”
While lamenting the lack of concern for staff welfare, he said, “Our members continue to suffer from unpaid salary arrears amounting to, but not limited to, 25-35 per cent wage reward. Promotion arrears, legally due to academics who earned them through merit, remain unpaid in many institutions for over four years.”
He further condemned the recent approval of nine new private universities by the Federal government, calling it an act of “hypocrisy.”
“Despite announcing a moratorium, the government recently approved nine new private universities, an act of hypocrisy driven by vested interests.
“ASUU demands an immediate freeze on the establishment of new universities until existing ones are adequately funded and staffed,” he added.
According to Mshelia, the union rejected the Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Staff Support loan scheme, the non-remittance of third-party deductions, the government’s refusal to sign the renegotiated 2009 agreement and the renaming of the university after the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Maiduguri Chapter, unequivocally condemns the recent unilateral decision to rename the University of Maiduguri as Muhammadu Buhari University.
“This action is not only provocative, it is a blatant violation of the principle of university autonomy and a grave affront to the values of academic freedom, institutional integrity, and democratic governance,” he stated.
According to him, ASUU has exercised extraordinary restraints, using letters, attending meetings, and choosing dialogue over confrontation.
“Yet, the government responds with silence and neglect. Let it be known, strikes are never our first choice, but our last resort when all avenues of negotiation are exhausted,” he said
He warned that “if the government continues on this path, industrial action will be inevitable, and responsibility will rest squarely on its shoulders.”
