Students express concern as ASUU protest rocks Abia varsity

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, MOUAU, branch on Tuesday protested against alleged inhuman treatment of members by the Federal Government.

Led by Professor Michael Ugwuene, MOUAU branch chairman, the ASUU members cried out that the Federal Government refused to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement it had with the academic union.

The protesting lecturers who said they have been on the same salary scale for 15 years, said they embarked on the nationwide protest as a final ultimatum before a strike action.

“Our professors are not taking more than N500,000 as monthly salaries. They are still owing us three and half years salary arrears even when we have already graduated the students,” Ugwuene said.

Also speaking, professors Uzochukwu Onyebinama and Marbel Ifeoma Onwuka declared that ASUU members will down tools unless the Federal Government responds to their demands.

They slammed the Federal Government’s Tertiary Institution Staff Support Funds, TISSF loan, describing it as a big scam.

Some students were seen begging the Federal Government to settle with ASUU to prevent the looming strike.