Abia State University, Uturu, has suspended Professor Nnamdi Chinwendu Nwaeze after he criticised the welfare of lecturers and said some commercial tricycle operators could earn more than professors at the institution.
Nwaeze, a lecturer in the Department of Economics, made the comments in a social media post while discussing the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Abia State University branch (ASUU-ABSU).
The professor alleged that most professors at the university earned less than N400,000 monthly, while a commercial tricycle operator making N15,000 daily could earn more than a professor.
He also claimed that ABSU lecturers were among the lowest-paid university teachers in Nigeria and were still being paid under the 2009 ASUU/FG salary structure.
Nwaeze further alleged that some lecturers promoted between 2023 and 2026 had not received salaries reflecting their new ranks, while some staff members had allegedly gone as long as 44 months without receiving their salaries.
He also claimed that salary arrears remained unpaid, union dues deducted by the government were not remitted to ASUU and lecturers had never received Earned Academic Allowances at the university.
The university announced his suspension in a statement issued on Thursday by its Deputy Registrar and Public Relations Officer, Chijioke Nwogu.
According to the management, the suspension followed “various social media posts attributed to Professor Nwaeze”, which it said were against the interests of the university and “uncomplimentary to the Visitor of the University.”
The university said it had constituted an investigative panel to examine the matter and that Nwaeze’s suspension would remain in place pending the outcome of the investigation.
Following the announcement, Nwaeze wrote on social media: “In life, somebody must pay the price for the liberation of others.”
He added: “Don’t sympathize with me; instead, direct your sympathy to the paymasters.”
ASUU-ABSU declared a total and indefinite strike on Wednesday after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued over the outstanding welfare demands of its members.
