Give Us Our Entitlements, Not Loans,  Taraba Varsity ASUU Tells FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Federal University Wukari (FUW) branch, has called on the Federal Government to immediately pay their outstanding entitlements, insisting that lecturers deserve fair compensation and improved welfare rather than loans.

The demand was made on Wednesday during a protest at the university campus in Wukari, Taraba State, where union members gathered to express dissatisfaction over what they described as the government’s failure to honour long-standing agreements with the academic community.

Addressing journalists during the demonstration, ASUU FUW Chairperson, Professor Asabe Mercy, criticised the government’s recently introduced loan scheme, saying it was a misplaced priority at a time when lecturers are grappling with unpaid allowances and poor conditions of service.

“We are not beggars. What we are asking for is not charity but our rightful entitlements. Instead of subjecting academics to debt traps through loans, the government should pay what is due to us,” she declared.

She also warned that the continuous neglect of lecturers’ welfare could lead to another shutdown of universities across the country. According to her, if the government’s insensitivity forces ASUU into another strike, Nigerians should hold the authorities responsible.

The protest attracted widespread participation from FUW academic staff, who carried placards with inscriptions such as “Fulfil your promises,” “No to loans, yes to entitlements,” and “Respect agreements with ASUU.”

ASUU has for years clashed with successive governments over issues of unpaid allowances, funding for universities, and implementation of agreements aimed at revitalising higher education.

The FUW branch’s protest adds to mounting pressure on the Federal Government to address grievances in the education sector before they escalate into another nationwide industrial action.