- By Femi Alabi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) Abuja zone, on Monday said no fewer than 46 academics lost their lives in universities under the Abuja zone.
ASUU lamented the death of its members owing to Economic hardship in the country alongside poor remuneration of academics and unfavourable working conditions.
The union identified the Universities in Abuja zone where members had died as the University of Abuja, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State University, Nasarawa, and the Ibrahim Babaginda University, Lapai.
The union said it recently lost an eminent Professor of Fisheries, Johnson Oyero, of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, due to the inability to afford quality medical facilities.
The zonal coordinator, ASUU, Abuja zone, Salahu Muhammed made this known in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja.
“In the last decade, more Nigerian academics are leaving the country in droves in search of greener pastures, thereby overworking the patriotic ones that remain in the system whose level of patriotism is dwindling on a daily basis due to poor remuneration and working conditions.
“It is also worthy of note that the union has lost several members during the period under review due to herculean working conditions, psychological and emotional stress, and diseases related to these conditions. For instance, universities in the Abuja zone have lost 46 members.
“In fact, just two days back, the union lost an eminent Professor of Fisheries, Johnson Oyero of the Federal University of Technology, Minna due to inability to afford quality medical facility.”
Speaking further in the statement, Muhammed said the union was also appalled by the failure of the Tinubu-led administration to honour some of the commitments it made with the union in a bid to avert potential industrial actions in universities.