The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday lashed out at the governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi for ‘lying’ that Nigerian university professors earn the same salary of N500, 000 as state governors or even more.
The Ekiti State governor had in Paris, France stated that the strike embarked upon by ASUU was needless as the Muhammadu Buhari’s government had done more for education than any other government.
ASUU in a release signed by the chairman, ASUU, University of Ibadan, Dr Deji Omole explained that education budget before President Buhari took over in 2015 was above 10 per cent but was worsened by retrogressive allocation that took 2018 education budget to six per cent.
It stated that while the union will not like to be distracted in her struggle for the revitalisation of public education by political opportunists like Governor Fayemi, it challenged Fayemi to publish salary and allowances that he collects monthly to back up transparency and accountability claims of the ruling party.
According to Omole, no newly promoted professor earns N500, 000 a month.
He noted that a newly promoted professor in the Nigerian Universities earns below N400, 000 and will only be able to receive N500, 000 monthly after ten years of becoming a professor, adding that this includes all allowances.
ASUU said it would be proud if President Buhari during the many presidential trips abroad attracts any foreign scholar with the ‘poverty wages’ he pays Nigerian lecturers.
“It is sad that someone, who is living on the state resources with his families and countless aides, with juicy salaries will not be circumspect in thought. Fake news and propaganda have been the trademark of the ruling APC.
“Fayemi’s utterances revealed the mental state of those ruling us. We challenge him to publish what a university professor earns as salaries and allowances and what governors earn and allowances.
“If lecturers earn more than governors why did Fayemi run away? Fayemi should tell the world how much he spent on capital grants to EKSU during his first sojourn in office.
“EKSU, as it is now, is more of Tetfund University which was a product of ASUU struggle. He should rather be grateful to ASUU for the regular bailout from Tetfund. ‘’Fayemi is one of the brains drains the struggle is trying to address because if the university learning environment is conducive enough, Fayemi would have stayed in the academia rather than playing politics of destruction.
“Nigerians should ask him why he failed to pick up the appointment offered him as an associate lecturer by the University of Ibadan Senate? ASUU has not made the monetary issue the main issue but her members are entitled to allowances owed them since 2010. We are more concerned with a revitalised university that is adequately funded to attract foreign scholars.
“Fayemi should attract an international professor and offer to pay him $1500 per month and let us see how many of them he can bring to Nigeria. A person who bought nomination form for N22.5million to become governor and spend billions to the campaign, with his party listed among those who bought votes, Fayemi should tell lies to his party men who are not discerning,” ASUU said.
