Approval Of Salary Increase For Lecturers Done Before Subsidy Removal, Not Enough To Survive Current Hardship— CONUA

The Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) has reacted to the 35 per cent and 23.5 per cent salary increments for staff of Nigerian tertiary institutions by the Federal Government.

The group said the increase does not depict the hardship experienced by the staff due to the removal of the fuel subsidy as it was approved in 2022.

In a statement on Tuesday signed by the CONUA National President, Dr ‘Niyi Sunmonu, the union lamented that the increase is not a new development as the group recounted its dialogue with the former Minister of Labour Chris Ngige over the issue of salary increase.

The discussion with Ngige reads, “In the meeting, CONUA delegates lamented the stagnation of salaries, and in the response of the immediate past Minister, he said the only offer on the table and which the government is committed to paying is the offer announced by the immediate past Minister of Educationn, Malam Adamu Adamu announced in September 2022 in the State House.

“CONUA delegates then pressed the immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment to raise that of the non-professorial cadre to 25 per cent. After much discussion on the matter and others, the Minister promised to raise this with relevant organs of government, and that possibly, payment could commence in May 2023.”

It added, “While appreciating the government for looking at the direction of academics for this award, we have noticed that this award was done before the removal of subsidy and we will continue to interact with the government on post-subsidy removal increment of academic salaries to meet with the present economic realities.

“Therefore, we will continue to engage the government as we advocate for a better salary for lecturers in the Nigerian universities to boost the morale of academics while at the same time reducing the scourge of brain drain from the institutions,” the group said.

THE WHISTLER reports that the FG had agreed to pay lecturers arrears from January 2023 till date while also raising salaries for an academic and non-academic staff of all its tertiary institutions across the country to 25 per cent and 35 per cent respectively.