Gov Emmanuel Bemoans Strike by AKSU Lecturers

By Okon Bassey

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel has expressed worry over the indefinite strike by lecturers of the state owned tertiary institution, the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU).

Reacting for the first time since the strike that started more than a month now, the governor argued that lecturers in the university were among the highest paid in any tertiary institution in the country.

Emmanuel said this while addressing the state on the eighth series of his radio and television programme ‘The Governor Speaks’.

He observed that the lecturers started complaining when university management began to ensure that salaries of lecturers were in line with the one approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

“I give the Akwa Ibom State University N327 million every month as grant. Also, going by the figures I have, lecturers in AKSU received the highest salaries anywhere in the country.
“For sustainability, I decided that we align with the NUC salary scale applicable everywhere in the country, that is the crux of the disagreement.

“Moreso, AKSU has two different staff unions and that is not the fault of the state government.

“I am optimistic these issues will be resolved, I have set up a panel of enquiry to that effect,” the governor stated.