ASUU tackles Fayemi over prof salary claim

Ekiti State Governor  Kayode Fayemi has come under severe attack from the  Academic Staff Union of Universities over his claim that lecturers are  faring better under the current administration in terms of welfare.

Speaking in Paris during President Muhammadu Buhari’s interactive session with Nigerians living in France, Fayemi, who faulted ASUU on the ongoing strike in public universities in the country, said the Buhari government had done more for tertiary education in the country than the previous governments.

According to him, most professors in Nigerian universities earn  N500,000 monthly like him as a governor.

But the Federal University of Technology, Akure, ASUU Chapter and its University of Ibadan counterpart on Wednesday warned Fayemi to steer clear of the affairs of the union.

FUTA’s ASUU chapter, in a statement by its chairman  Dr. Bola Oniya,  insisted that members of the union had been going through hard times since the beginning of the current administration.

The statement said, “Since the inception of the current administration, there has been several untoward interference by certain dramatis personae in the guise of ‘oversight’ functions in public universities and thus challenging the autonomy of universities in Nigeria.

“These ‘dictations’ from various quarters are unwholesome for the smooth running of the universities and against the global best practices. Since December 2015, workers in public universities (state and federal) have been plagued with shortfalls in salaries.

“For three years running, the same problem persists and the  Ekiti State University will rank high on the list of state universities with the shortfall problem as the university is owning workers for five months. The governor may claim that the debt was inherited, but the clock is ticking.

“Where did the governor source his information? The basic salary of a professor at bar (to his family) is less than N300,000 monthly, and with his other allowances he earns about N500,000 till he retires at 70.”

A statement by the chairman, ASUU University of Ibadan, Dr Deji Omole,  stated that while the union would not be distracted in its struggle for the revitalisation of public education “by political opportunists like Governor Fayemi’”, it considered the governor’s claim as diversionary.

While challenging Fayemi to publish salary and allowances that he collects monthly to back up the transparency and accountability claims of the ruling party, Omole said no newly promoted professor earns N500,000 a month.

He said,  “A newly promoted professor in the slave enclave called Nigerian universities earns below N400,000 and will only be able to receive N500,000 monthly after 10 years of becoming a professor and this includes all allowances.”

The statement added, “It is sad that someone living on state resources with his family 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 professor earns as salary 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.

“Nigerians should ask him why he failed to pick up the appointment offered him by as an associate lecturer by the University of Ibadan Senate.