Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN, the pro-chancellor of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), has requested that the Nigerian government review the salaries of lecturers throughout the nation in order to reflect the realities of rising inflation.
Speaking at UNIOSUN’s 11th convocation ceremony at Olagunsoye Oyinlola Auditorium, Ali urged traditional chiefs to ask the Nigerian government to raise the pay for lecturers in the nation because they are the fathers of the nation.
According to him, it has been about 15 years since the government increased lecturers’ pay, despite the country’s rising market inflation.
His words; “Lecturers are buying from the same market as any other person’s shop. Meanwhile, the last time their salaries were increased was about 15 years ago. It is obvious that our educational system is undergoing Tsunami like changes but unfortunately negatively.
“In order to address the problem of incessant strikes by various unions in the universities, it is high time the salaries of workers in the universities be reviewed upward, to meet the realities of inflation. Going forward, we should put in place a system of automatic adjustment of salaries, within an agreed time frame, say between 2 to 3 years to address inflationary trends in the economy, as it happens in other places.”
Earlier, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Odunayo Adebooye, while delivering his speech, noted that the institution, in its 16th year of existence, has continued to soar in academic standing, and attract international collaborations and partnerships.
According to him, “In our sixteen years of existence, we have continued to soar in academic standing, attract international collaborations and partnerships, and carry on in our quest to build a truly world-class University, just like our founding fathers had dreamt.
“I must acknowledge all former Vice-Chancellors of this University, whose legacies of impactful leadership will forever remain indelible. In the last five years, Osun State university witnessed tremendous leap in its academic, personnel and infrastructural development. That was the period that defined UNIOSUN as a University with a culture of fiscal transparency, financial integrity, academic quality and global relevance,” he said.