Abia varsity suspends lecturer over Facebook post on workers’ pay

The management of Abia State University has suspended a professor from the Department of Economics after he made critical comments on Facebook regarding the salaries of lecturers at the institution. This decision comes following concerns raised by the suspension of various posts attributed to Professor Nnamdi Nwaeze on social media, which are deemed detrimental to the university and disrespectful to the institution.

Nwaeze alleged that the Academic Staff Union of Universities at Abia State University were among the lowest-paid university lecturers in Nigeria, further claiming that their salaries were still being paid under the 2009 ASUU-Federal Government salary structure while being taxed under the 2024 tax rate. He further stated that a revised salary structure approved in December 2025 had not been implemented in the university, yet some professors promoted between 2023 and 2026 were not paid salaries corresponding to their new ranks.

Nwaeze also alleged that lecturers overdue for 44 months, deducted union dues not remitted to ASUU and absence of Earned Academic Allowances. He questioned the disparity in earnings between professors at Abia State University and those in federal and most state universities, stating that most professors in the university earned less than N400,000 monthly, while a Keke driver could earn more than them.

The university management has constituted an investigative panel to look into the allegations, with the suspension taking immediate effect until the investigation is concluded.