I Earns Less Than What A University Professor Earns As Monthly Basic Salary - Fayemi

Ekiti state governor, Kayode Fayemi, has expressed his reservation on the strike embarked on by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying the reason adduced by the union of tutors in universities across the country are not justifiable.

ASUU began an indefinite strike on November 5, hinging its decision to disrupt academic activities on poor funding of universities in the country, failure on the part of the government to honour the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed between the union and the federal government in 2017.

The MoA was a renegotiation of the 2009 Memorandum of Understanding (ASUU) entered with the union by the government but was not implemented.

But speaking on the ongoing strike in Nigerian universities in Paris during President Muhammadu Buhari’s interactive session with Nigerians living in France, Fayemi shifted blame on ASUU, who he said are adamant on having all their demands met “when you have competing needs”.

Fayemi who argued that no government has done more for the union than the Buhari administration, stressed that as a governor, he earns less to what a university professor earn as monthly basic salary.

“I make bold to say that no government has done as much as this government has done. Not just for ASUU, but for tertiary education in our country,” Fayemi said.

“Is it enough? Absolutely, it’s not going to be enough. We have to keep doing more. But ask yourself what was the average wage in the university system before. A university professor earn more than me as a governor. My salary as a governor is N500,000. Most university professors earn about the same amount if not more.

“Yes, you may argue that there are other opportunities available, there are also other opportunities that are available that are not being taken advantage of by our academics. I can say a little bit about this because this is my terrain.

“I do not think that ASUU on its own strength can argue that government has not done well. There is hardly any institution in Nigeria today, including states universities, that have not had the benefit of intervention.

“It is either the government is building an auditorium or rehabilitating a laboratory, or improving on students hostels in virtually all the universities as I speak to you. That’s what TETFUND does via their intervention funds. That again is not the complete solution.

“Can we add more resources to education budget? Absolutely we can. But when you have competing needs, you cannot have everything that you want. And this is something ASUU needs to know.”