ASUU Declares September 10 As Victimized Lecturers’ Day

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has designated September 10, 2024, as Victimized Lecturers’ Day.

Naija News understands that the day is intended to draw attention to ongoing managerial crises and the challenges faced by lecturers in Nigeria’s public universities.

ASUU National President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, announced this decision on Wednesday during a press briefing at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.

The briefing followed the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

During the briefing, Osodeke, accompanied by other ASUU members, highlighted that several lecturers across Nigerian universities have faced unfair treatment.

This includes termination of appointments, withholding of salaries, and denial of promotions by university managements, all for advocating for the welfare of academic staff.

Osodeke specifically mentioned several universities where such victimization has occurred, including Kogi State University, Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Lagos State University (LASU), Ambrose Alli University, the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam.

ASUU also expressed its discontent with the ongoing victimization of its members at FUTO, who opposed the conferment of a professorship on former Minister of Communication and Digital Technology, Isah Pantami. The union demanded that FUTO management cease such actions.

Furthermore, ASUU reiterated its demands to the Federal Government, including the review and signing of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, release of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and an end to third-party deductions from ASUU members’ funds.

Additional issues raised by ASUU include the cessation of illegal retirements, the unchecked expansion of public universities, and the violation of university laws.

They also called for the removal of universities from the Single Treasury Account (TSA) and the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

ASUU noted that the poor conditions in Nigerian universities have led to an exodus of experienced scholars to other countries. Meanwhile, the number of foreign lecturers and students coming to Nigeria has significantly declined.