Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) staged protests across the country on Tuesday, voicing their rejection of the Federal Government’s recent loan scheme and demanding the payment of long-overdue salaries and allowances.
At the University of Jos, lecturers demonstrated before addressing the press, firmly dismissing the Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund loan initiative introduced by the government.
Joseph Molwus, chairperson of the ASUU branch there, described the loan offer as a “poison chalice” that would push university staff further into financial distress instead of providing relief.
Molwus emphasized that what lecturers truly need is not loans but the release of unpaid entitlements.
“How can the government expect us to borrow money to cover basic needs like healthcare and school fees when it still owes us salaries, allowances, and arrears?” he questioned.
Similar protests were held at the University of Lagos, where lecturers demanded better welfare, the payment of arrears, and a renegotiation of the 2009 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.
At the University of Benin and the Federal University Gusau, lecturers sent a stern warning to the government to honour the agreement or face the possibility of another strike.
Abdulrahman Adamu, chairman of the ASUU chapter at Gusau, lamented the chronic neglect of Nigerian universities and pointed out that funding has largely been left to TETFUND while academic staff endure various hardships.
Adamu disclosed that the government still owes ASUU over three months’ salary arrears from the 2020 strike, in addition to unpaid promotion and wage award arrears ranging from 25 to 35 months.
Academic staff at the Federal University Dutse in Jigawa State also joined the protest, highlighting their grievances over unpaid salaries and calling on the government to address their financial struggles.
Isma’il Ahmad, the union chairman there, stated that the current salaries are insufficient to meet lecturers’ basic living expenses.
Across all protest venues, ASUU reiterated that the government should prioritize settling outstanding obligations including unpaid salaries, earned allowances, promotion arrears, revitalization funds, wage awards, and third-party deductions, rather than offering loan schemes.
The union further expressed frustration over the government’s failure to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU agreement despite years of dialogue and reports submitted by various committees.
ASUU warned that the delay is pushing lecturers into despair and putting at risk the industrial peace that has lasted over two years.
The lecturers recalled President Bola Tinubu’s 2022 campaign promise to prevent university strikes during his tenure, lamenting that two years on, critical issues remain unresolved.
They appealed for the president’s direct intervention to renew hope and prevent a looming crisis in the education sector.
While affirming their commitment to dialogue, ASUU cautioned that patience is wearing thin and urged the Federal Government to urgently address these matters to avoid another prolonged shutdown of academic activities.
