A Professor of Comparative Political Economy at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Adelaja Odukoya, has expressed strong displeasure over the poor manner by which the Nigerian Government is treating the university lecturers under its payroll, asking what offence did lecturers commit to warrant such treatment.
He said university lecturers were not only treated like kings at the country’s political independence in 1960 up till the military incursion in governance few years after but were also well-remunerated and well-taken care of by the government unlike nowadays that the contrary is the case.
Odukoya, who is the Lagos Zone coordinator of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, (UNILAG, made this observation while delivering the university’s sixth inaugural lecture under the current academic session, recently.
His lecture, titled: ‘Armageddon’ attracted many scholars, diplomats, traditional rulers, students among others who were either present onsite or online.
The don wondered what could have informed the disparage treatment Nigeria now subject lecturers to through the hands of the federal government.
According to him, how else can one explain that a Nigerian professor at independence in 1960 who earned 3,000 pounds (equivalent to N6,000) annually, which was next to that of the Chief Justice of the Federation who earned 3,600 pounds per annum, now earns just N5.4 million as against the latter who now earns N64 million per annum.
Even the other justices of the Supreme Court, who at that period earned less than a professor, he added, now earns around N60 million per annum.
He wondered again what could have been responsible for such a huge disparity now between the two.
According to him, could it be that the work of a professor has become less important or dispensable or that Nigeria has suddenly become a land of justice as a consequence of the jumbo pay for judges?
“So, what sin have lecturers committed as we are confused? We need people in the corridors of power to tell Nigerians why this unfair treatment is meted on lecturers.”
Additionally, Odukoya explained that even the civil servants who joined public service as graduates were nowhere near the average assistant lecturer who are two steps higher as they are now the ones determining what a professor must earn today.
Read Also: Reps pass tax reforms bills through second reading
“This is apart from the monumental corruption they orchestrate as we have many junior civil servants in Nigeria who are rich enough to pay the salaries of several professors per annum with choice houses in exclusive areas across the world, yet they walk around with impunity.
“That is why many now see education in Nigeria as a scam.”
He said this narrative must have to change for Nigeria to progress in education and socio-economy at large.
