13th November, 2018
Governor Kayode Fayemi has lambasted Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for embarking on its ongoing strike action describing it as unnecessary.
He said professors in Nigerian universities earn just like him a N500,000 monthly salary, in some cases, they earn more than him.
According to Punch, Fayemi said, “If you talk about tertiary education, ASUU is on strike; but you ask yourself, ‘Why is ASUU on strike?’
“ASUU claimed that it is on strike because it wants improvement in the fortunes of education in Nigeria and that government has not lived up to expectations.
“I make bold to say that no government has done as much as this government has done — not just for ASUU, but also for tertiary education in our country.
“Is it enough? Absolutely, it’s not going to be enough. We have to keep doing more.
“But, ask yourself, ‘What was the average wage in the university system before?’
“A university professor earns more than me as a governor. My salary as a governor is N500,000. Most university professors earn about the same amount, if not more.
“Yes, you may argue that there are other opportunities available, there are also other opportunities that are available that are not being taken advantage of by our academics.
“I can say a little bit about this because this is my terrain.