By Bolarinwa Kabir
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Ondo State chapter has called on the Federal Government to honour the agreement reached with ASUU about the salary structure of the university lecturers.
The union noted that its members were faced with many difficulties which affects their productivity stating that though they were not being owed salary, the salary they received was little compared to their needs as a result of the current inflation in the country.
Abraham Olasupo, the chairman of UNIMED ASUU noted this while speaking with journalists after a rally that was held at Ondo town, on Wednesday (yesterday)
Olasupo stated that the government increased electricity tariffs and fuel prices, noting that such increases should be reflected in the salary of lecturers.
Honourable FM learnt that, apart from the poor salary structure that affected the academic staff, the staff are also being denied payment of the earned academic allowance.
Olasupo said, “The 2009 Federal Government of Nigeria and ASUU agreement has to do with our salary structure. What we are saying about the salary is that with the present economic realities that we have on the ground, our take-home salary is not taking us home again.
“The reason is very simple. In 2015 when the administration of President Buhari started, a professor was earning $3,800 by conversion, the same professor is now earning less than $275. Every good and service in Nigeria now is dollarised. So why can’t the government also give us the equivalent of what a professor was earning?
“That is the essence of the renegotiation of what we are calling for. Since 2009, nothing has changed about the salary of university workers, we have been earning the same amount, things are very expensive and the inflation rate as of last year was between 14 and 20 per cent. As we speak now, it’s more than 45 per cent.
“If someone is still earning what he was earning when the inflation rate was very low and then now, you know the salary can not go anywhere, and we are also parents, we need to take care of our families too and that’s why we are calling on the government.”
“It’s not about giving us money, what are you giving us, is it sufficient to take care of us? does it really reflect the reality of the economy that we have? The government has done some hikes in electricity tariff and fuel pump price and they have not deemed it fit to reciprocate the same position to workers,” he stated.
Olasupo noted that despite the hope the union had in the current government, the present government had allegedly refused to relate with them officially in the last one year of being in office, noting that if such an attitude continues, the union will be forced to explore other means, including strike.