By Saviour Jimoh-Alabi
The Benin Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has called on the federal government to work harder and provide effective measures that would cushion the effect of its anti-poor policies.
ASUU which on Thursday made the call during a press briefing in Benin City, capital of Edo state, stated that the poor policies, have pushed Nigerians and by extension members of the Nigerian academics down the intolerable abyss of abject poverty and hardship.
Dr. Monday Igbafen, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Benin Zone, told newsmen that the suffocating situation in public universities can no longer be tolerated or allowed to continue.
He said the current free-fall of the value of the Naira vis a vis international currencies, and the failure of government to honour previous agreements as well as its current neglect or refusal to provide effective measures that would cushion the effect of its anti-poor policies has pushed Nigerian academics into hardship and poverty.
According to him, “the 2009 Agreement was meant to kick-start the reversal of the decay in Nigerian public universities but government has up till date neglected and refused its conclusive renegotiation and speedy implementation of the Agreement to stem the worsening living and working conditions in Nigerian public universities.
“We are compelled as a Union to once again draw your attention to the serial insensitivity of the government to agreements, university laws, regulations and care for the welfare of hard-working lecturers in Nigerian public universities.
“Despite the good intentions of our Union and its members to make our universities attractive and globally competitive, government has remained adamant and unrepentant in its assault and imposition of hardship on lecturers, students and the universities.
“The failure of government to honour previous agreements and its current neglect or refusal to provide effective measures that would cushion the effect of its anti-poor policies has pushed Nigerian academics down the intolerable abyss of abject poverty and hardship.
“Accentuated by the current free-fall of the value of the naira vis-à-vis international currencies, the monthly take-home pay (salary) of the highest paid professor in Nigeria, on the average has plummeted to a meager and ridiculous US210.This is one of the least in the world and is, therefore, unacceptable to our Union.”
The Benin Zone of ASUU comprises University of Benin, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Delta State University, Abraka, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, and University of Delta, Agbor.
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