The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Plateau State University branch (ASUU-PLASU), has raised alarm over worsening welfare conditions for lecturers, warning that the nation’s university system is on the brink of crisis.
At a press conference held on Tuesday in Bokkos, the union lamented unpaid salaries, withheld allowances and poor working conditions, saying lecturers were “teaching on empty stomachs” and conducting research without basic resources.
ASUU-PLASU Chairman, Dr. Monday Hassan Zitta, who read the statement, said the plight of lecturers at Plateau State University reflected a broader national crisis across Nigerian public universities.
“Feelers across campuses indicate that lecturers are, to put it mildly, not happy. They teach students on empty stomachs and conduct research in libraries and laboratories bereft of essential journals, books, chemicals and reagents,” he said.
He added that lecturers, while grappling with unpaid bills, school fees, rent and family responsibilities, were unfairly blamed for producing “unemployable graduates” and failing to initiate innovative research.
The union accused the government of consistently failing to honour the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, which was due for renegotiation since 2012. Zitta noted that every major dispute between ASUU and successive governments had stemmed from neglect of the agreement’s provisions on conditions of service, funding, autonomy and academic freedom.
He raised particular concern over Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) at Plateau State University, saying management had unilaterally slashed the monthly payment from N20 million, earlier agreed with the state government, to N10 million. “This is a recipe for industrial disharmony. It is not only demoralising to our members but also a clear sign that some people do not wish to see Plateau State University progress,” he warned.
Other unresolved issues listed by the union include pension deductions, gratuity fund management, postgraduate remuneration, staff quarters, poor road network, inadequate health insurance, electricity challenges and lack of staff buses.
Backing the protest, ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, vowed that the union would not relent until the agreements were implemented. “We are ready to fight to get the issues resolved, but there will be no need for confrontation if the government listens and does the needful,” he said.
Similar protests were staged on Tuesday at the University of Jos and other campuses, underscoring that the Plateau State University situation mirrors a nationwide struggle for lecturers’ welfare and university autonomy.
