ASUU Committed To Building Better Nigeria— Chairman

Acting chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT)  branch, Comrade Andrew Apeh has reaffirmed the union’s commitment to building a better nation through quality teaching, research and community service.

Apeh stated this at the 2025 ASUU Day celebration held at the ESUT main campus. Agbani said, “As academic staff, we must continue to strive for excellence, inspiring our students and contributing to the growth of our nation. “As a union, we must remain united and focused on our welfare purposes. Our welfare is our fundamental rights, and it’s time we demand it be addressed without politicisation.”

He emphasised that the theme of the 2025 ASUU Day, “Empowering Academics and Enhancing Wellness”, was apt and timely, pointing out that, “Our welfare is not a privilege, it’s a right.

“We deserve a salary review aligned with the national benchmark, and the 25 percent and 35 percent wage award increments implemented in other state and federal universities.

“As of today, it pains greatly to see our counterparts in other state and federal universities receiving double of our salary for almost a year now. And even waiting for a better review in few days to come, and here in ESUT, we are battling with survival because of our paltry salary which no longer meets the reality of the economic situation of our moment.

.”It is time we caught up! Our Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) is another pressing issue. Since 2008, it’s been pending and we can’t wait any longer.

We urge our government and ESUT Management to address this as an urgent call, special plights and mainstream our EAA.”

Chairperson of ASUU, Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Comrade Zubairu Abdulmumini Loko, noted that the uncompromising spirit of solidarity has been the spirit that has kept ASUU alive, unbroken, unbent, and unbowed for decades in this country.

“Academics in Nigeria live between intellectual excellence and national frustration. We teach like philosophers but are paid like apprentices. We produce research that transforms nations, yet struggle with facilities that belong in museums,” he said.

On empowering Academics, he said, “The Struggle Continues. Empowerment is not a slogan – it is a struggle. It is what ASUU has defended for over forty years, often at great personal cost.

“Empowerment means: Salaries that can survive the month, not disappear like a missed call. Research grants that can actually fund research, not only printing of proposals Infrastructure that respects our academic dignity. Autonomy that protects our universities from political interference and administrative overreach.

“Let me repeat: No nation jokes with its academics and expects serious development. If Nigerian academics are empowered today, Nigeria will be transformed tomorrow. But if academics remain overworked, undervalued, overstressed, and underpaid, then we are simply fueling a crisis while hoping for a miracle.

Speaking on enhancement of wellness, Loko noted that even lions rest, stressing that, “Wellness is not weakness; it is strategy.

Comrades, you cannot lead a revolution with blood pressure higher than school fees. You cannot fight for autonomy when your backbone is begging for physiotherapy. You cannot supervise students effectively when your eyesight is battling with stress-induced blur.

Loko, therefore, charged his colleagues at ESUT to remain united, because disunity is the weapon of oppressors.

Earlier, Comrade Ofukwu Raphael Agbo, national resource person, chastised Nigeria’s university professors for being docile in the face of oppression and social injustice..

Agbo who categorised professors into three, noted that many of them cannot speak to power because of politicisation and fear of the unknown.

“ASUU remains the last moral firewall protecting Nigerian universities from total collapse. Someone must speak truth to power, even when power pretends to be deaf,” he stated.

Some of the activities held at the event were medical check up, health speeches and panel discussion followed by a question and answer session.

High points of the event were the recognition and reward of retired and deceased members as well as celebration of newly promoted ASUU Professors. There were also recognition of Ex-ASUU leaders and former ASUU-ESUT leaders. Nineteen Professors were promoted in 2023 while 15 were promoted in 2024, respectively.

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Twenty seven ASUU-ESUT members are yet to receive their retirement benefits of N400, 000.00 while 16 deceased members are in the list of unpaid death benefits of N400,000.00