The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has revealed that 84 of its members died between May and August 2024 due to economic hardship and unpaid salaries.
The President of the union, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, made this disclosure on Channels Television’s socio-political programme ‘Inside Sources’ with Laolu Akande.
He said, “In the past three months, from May to August (2024), Nigerian universities lost 84 academics to death. In three months, because of what our people are going through.
“Despite this crisis, you are holding somebody’s three-and-half or more salaries on the no-work, no-pay, you are owing this money. People are trying to survive, you introduced fuel increase, you introduced electricity increase, and everything is gone now.”
The President of the ASUU, who demanded increased funding for university education in Nigeria, said that to get the sector functioning optimally, lecturers must be motivated, adding that he earns N420,000 per month despite being a professor for 15 years.
According to him, Nigerian lecturers can’t compete globally if they are not well-paid.
Recall that on September 25, 2024, ASUU issued the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to resolve several lingering issues including the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement as well as the release of withheld salaries due to the 2022 industrial action.
In 2022, academic and non-academic unions in Nigeria embarked on an eight-month strike to press home some of their demands including a better welfare package.
The administration of then President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently invoked a ‘no work, no pay policy’ against the unions but President Bola Tinubu, in October 2023, approved the release of four of the about eight months withheld salaries.
