By Umar Muhammed, Lafia
Lecturers at the Federal University of Lafia (FULafia) on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest to demand the release of withheld salaries, payment of promotion arrears, and improved welfare conditions.
The protest, held on the university campus in Lafia, saw members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Pay our withheld salaries now,” “Starving lecturers is strangling education,” and “Our campuses are unfit for teaching and learning.”
Addressing journalists, FULafia ASUU Chairperson, Comrade Sunday Orinya, said the union had exercised patience since the beginning of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, preferring dialogue to confrontation. However, he lamented that government had failed to address even the most basic demands.
“We have waited in vain for the release of our three-and-a-half months withheld salaries, payment of promotion arrears, and the implementation of new conditions of service. Instead of action, what we get is delay, deceit, and disappointment,” Orinya declared.
He recalled the long history of broken promises surrounding the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, which covered salaries, university autonomy, and revitalisation of public institutions. According to him, 17 years later, implementation has been partial at best, while lecturers continue to suffer.
“In the past decade, government has set up four renegotiation committees — Wale Babalakin in 2017, Munzali Jubril in 2020, Nimi Briggs in 2022, and Yayale Ahmed in 2024. The latest committee submitted its report in February, yet nothing has been heard from government. It shows the deceitful character of our leaders,” he said.
Beyond unpaid salaries, Orinya painted a grim picture of life for academics, citing rising insecurity, skyrocketing food prices, and unaffordable fuel and electricity tariffs.
“Nigerian lecturers are finding it difficult to feed, pay rent, access healthcare, or even commute. On average, ASUU records about 60 deaths of members every quarter at the national level — more than 240 deaths every year — many linked to hardship and poor conditions of service,” he said.
The union warned that any disruption in the academic calendar should be blamed on the Federal Government.
ASUU’s demands included, release of 3.5 months withheld salaries; payment of promotion arrears; remittance of third-party deductions to unions and cooperatives; settlement of arrears of the 25%/35% salary award; implementation of improved conditions of service and adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) for salary payments.
“We are not asking for charity. We are asking government to respect agreements and treat lecturers with dignity,” Orinya said, as the chanting protesters dispersed peacefully.
