August 26, (THEWILL) — The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Maiduguri chapter, has strongly condemned the N150,000 retirement benefit for professors and other senior academics, describing it as insensitive and a national disgrace.
Speaking after a protest at the institution’s campus, the UNIMAID ASUU Chairman, Abubakar Mshelia, said the policy reflects the government’s disregard for intellectuals who have dedicated their lives to nation-building.
“Professors who have spent over four decades educating generations retire on a meagre N150,000 under the contributory pension scheme, while inflation exceeds 21 percent.
“This is not just a labour issue; it is a national disgrace. A country that treats its intellectuals with such disdain cannot expect meaningful progress,” he said.
Mshelia lamented the government’s failure to address unpaid salary arrears, which he noted range between 25 and 35 percent in wage rewards, as well as long-standing promotion arrears owed to academics in several institutions.
He also accused the Federal Government of hypocrisy for recently approving nine new private universities despite declaring a moratorium.
“ASUU demands an immediate freeze on the establishment of new universities until existing ones are adequately funded and staffed,” he said.
The chairman further faulted the proposed Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Loan Scheme, the government’s refusal to sign the renegotiated 2009 agreement, and the non-remittance of third-party deductions.
He also rejected the reported decision to rename the University of Maiduguri after former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“This unilateral renaming is provocative. It violates the principle of university autonomy and undermines academic freedom, institutional integrity, and democratic governance,” Mshelia declared.
According to him, ASUU has shown restraint by prioritising dialogue, but government silence has left the union with no choice but to consider industrial action.
“If the government continues on this path, strikes will be inevitable, and the responsibility will rest squarely on its shoulders,” he warned.
