The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday dismissed the claim by Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi that Nigerian university professors earn same salary of N500,000 like him or even more.
ASUU said no newly promoted professor earns N500,000 a month.
Governor Fayemi had told a gathering in Paris, France that the recent industrial action embarked upon by ASUU was needless.
Fayemi further said President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has done more for education than any other government.
But ASUU in its reactions said Buhari’s education policy has brought disaster to the sector.
According to the union, education budget before President Buhari took over in 2015 was above 10 percent but Buhari has worsened it by retrogressive allocation that took the 2018 education budget to six percent.
The union in a release signed by the ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan chapter, Dr. Deji Omole, said the union will not like to be distracted in her struggle for the revitalisation of public education by political opportunists like Fayemi.
The union challenged Fayemi to publish salary and allowances that he collects monthly to back up transparency and accountability claims of the ruling party.
Omole noted that a newly promoted professor in slave-enclave called Nigerian universities earns below N400,000 and will only be able to receive N500,000 monthly after ten years of becoming a professor and this includes all allowances.
ASUU said it will be proud if President Buhari during the many presidential Diaspora trips will be able to attract any foreign scholar with the poverty wages he pays Nigerian lecturers.
“It is sad that someone 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 trade mark 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.
“Nigerians should asked him why he failed to pick up the appointment offered him by as an Associate Lecturer by the University of Ibadan Senate.
“ASUU has not made monetary issue the main 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,” the union stated.
