UNIPORT Lecturers Stage Peaceful Protest Over Poor Working Conditions

By Abimbola Ogunnaike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU),University of Port Harcourt branch, has cried out to Nigerians over decried the Federal Government’s failure to review the condition of works for its members.

According to the lecturers, said 325 of its senior lecturers promoted to professorial level had yet to receive their promotion arrears for 30 to 40 months.

The Chairman of ASUU, UNIPORT, Uzoma Chima, disclosed this at a news briefing on Tuesday, 25 June, 2024 before the protest on the school campus in Port Harcourt.

Chima called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to do what is necessary and avoid another crisis in the universities.

The UNIPORT ASUU branch chairman said the call became necessary to avert another strike by the union.

Chima read the text of the briefing jointly signed with the union’s Secretary, Salem Ejeba, after a meeting with students, parents, and some opinion leaders lamented that the rot in the universities has continued unabated.

The Federal Government has refused to pay promotion arrears to 325 lecturers in this institution. These people are between the professorial level. They were promoted and are still being owed between 30 to 40 months arrears,” Chima stated.

He recalled that the last strike embarked upon by ASUU lasted for 18 months due to the apex government’s inability to address the welfare of lecturers and the development of university education.

Chima expressed worry that rather than frontally tackling the issues raised by ASUU, the federal government only resorted to the use of starvation against its members.

 “Rather than sincerely address and find a lasting solution to the above issues which impinge negatively on industrial harmony, quality education and the smooth-running of our public universities, the Federal Government resorted to the use of starvation by withholding the salaries of our members for over seven months and coercion through the National Industrial Court and the Appeal Court.

“It is sad to note that over 20 months after the suspension of the last strike, the Federal Government has only paid lip service towards addressing those core issues that led to the strike ab initio and others that emanated from the strike.

“The need for better remuneration for our members cannot be overemphasised. It may sound incredible to note that our conditions of service have not been reviewed since the past 15 years despite the galloping inflation and the untold hardship that successive governments have caused the critical mass of the Nigerian citizenry,” he added.