Brave Dickson
A lecturer with the University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Steve Wordu has joined other colleagues of his to condemn the half salary paid to varsity lecturers by the federal government for the month of October.
The half salary was allege to have premised on the fact that the lecturers resumed classroom activities in the mid month of October in compliance with court order.
Speaking with our correspondent, Wordu described the half salary as wickedness on the part of the federal government, adding that the FG is exhibiting its persecutorial approach against ASUU.
“I have gotten my salary for the month of October and it was half. I called some of my colleagues across the country and they said the were paid half too.
“What the FG has just done is wickedness and a demonstration of its continued persecutorial attacks on the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
“With this insensitive action taken by the FG, how are we sure that the salaries for the eight months that ASUU was on strike will be paid?
“The truth of it is that lecturers were still working during the striking period, it was only classroom activities that we suspended.
“Our researches and writings were still going on during the striking period and I urge parents and well meaning Nigerians to rise up against what the FG is doing against lecturers.
“If the FG continues to treat lecturers in this manner, it will negatively affect the quality of graduates this country will produce because lecturers will not use happy mind to do their job.
“Sometimes, I wonder who is leading this country as we see the country’s president allowing the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige to treat academicians with levity and disrespect all the time.
“Maybe as we immediately resumed classroom activities in compliance with the order of the court, this half salary wants to make us look like fools.
“Maybe, what we should have done would have been to wait for this academic session to end then we return to classroom in a new academic session,” he said.
