The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday advocated a review of the remuneration of elected public office holders which, according to the body, was “a pathway to solving Nigeria’s sociopolitical predicament”.
Addressing a news conference at the end of its two-day national executive council meeting at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, the association’s president, Ukachukwu Awuzie, described the current remuneration as “outrageous”.
He said that in view of the fact that millions of Nigerians languish in abject poverty, there was an urgent need for the government to review such remunerations in line with what obtained in the federal civil service.
Mr Awuzie added that less remuneration would make the offices less attractive, such that “only credible people with genuine ambition to serve the nation would contest for them”.
The don said that for Nigeria to chart a new course, the incoming administration should strive to address the epileptic power supply in the country, as well as insecurity, poverty, unemployment, corruption and the poor funding of the education sector.
He advised the president-elect, Goodluck Jonathan, to emulate the good virtues of the late Murtala Mohammed, who, according to him, led not only Nigeria but Africa at large.
According to Mr Awuzie, President Goodluck Jonathan has a unique opportunity to build a solid legacy.
Politicians are the problem
On the conduct of the 2011 general elections, Mr Awuzie said politicians showed no genuine commitment to free and fair elections.
According to him, the most serious obstacle to free and fair elections in Nigeria was the culture of rigging entrenched by politicians since the 1960s.
“The 2011 elections did not break that culture. This rigging culture was fuelled partly by the politics of ethnicity, regionalism, religion and desperation of politicians to occupy or retain elective offices.
“ASUU also condemns the killing of some corps members during the post-election violence and calls on the Federal Government to name streets and buildings after each of them,” he said.
Mr Awuzie described the removal of the vice-chancellors of Ambrose Ali and Ado-Ekiti universities by their respective visitors as a call to anarchy in the university system.
“ASUU calls on Governors Adams Oshiomhole and Kayode Fayemi to reverse the decision and refer whatever grievances they have against the VCs to the respective governing councils.
“ASUU also objects strongly and rejects the method by which vice-chancellors were appointed for the universities. The method violates the process that both the government and ASUU have agreed upon,” he said.
The ASUU chairperson frowned at the establishment of new universities while existing ones remained grossly underfunded.
