The management of Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, has reportedly suspended a lecturer in the Department of Economics, Prof. Nnamdi Nwaeze, over comments he made on social media concerning the remuneration of academic staff at the institution.
Premium Times reports that Nwaeze was suspended after a Facebook post in which he claimed that Professors at the university earn less than commercial tricycle operators, popularly known as Keke riders.
According to reports, the Professor made the comments against the backdrop of the industrial action recently declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the institution.
In the post, Nwaeze alleged that lecturers at ABSU were among the least paid academics in Nigerian universities and claimed that the university was still paying academic staff under the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government salary structure.
He further alleged, according to the report, that the 2024 salary structure and another structure approved in December 2025 had not been implemented at the university.
The lecturer claimed that Professors at ABSU earn less than N400,000 monthly, while commercial tricycle operators could earn more than N450,000 within the same period.
He also compared the alleged remuneration with that of Professors in federal and other state universities, where he said Professors earn between N1.3 million and N1.4 million monthly.
Nwaeze also questioned the salaries of political office holders in Abia State, claiming that a local government councillor earns about N600,000, while a member of the state House of Assembly earns approximately N8 million net monthly.
The Professor said he had previously refrained from speaking publicly about the situation because of concerns that he could be labelled an “enemy of the state” or accused of making political statements.
However, the university management took exception to the publication.
In a statement announcing the suspension, ABSU said the Professor ‘s social media post was “inimical to the interests of the university and uncomplimentary to the visitors of the university.”
Governor Alex Otti is the Visitor to Abia State University.
The university has constituted an investigative panel to examine the matter.
The suspension took immediate effect and will remain in force pending the outcome of the investigation.
The development has again drawn attention to the persistent concerns over the welfare, salaries and working conditions of university lecturers in Nigeria, particularly amid recurring disputes between academic unions and university authorities.
Tags: ABSU, University Lecturers, ASUU, Abia State
