BREAKING: Abia State University Suspends Professor Over Posts Criticising Poor Lecturers’ Welfare | Sahara Reporters

The university announced the suspension in a statement issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026, by its Deputy Registrar and Public Relations Officer, Chijioke Nwogu.

Abia State University, Uturu, has suspended Professor Nnamdi Chinwendu Nwaeze of the Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, following social media posts in which he criticised the alleged poor welfare and remuneration of academic staff at the institution.

The university announced the suspension in a statement issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026, by its Deputy Registrar and Public Relations Officer, Chijioke Nwogu.

According to the university management, the suspension followed concerns arising from “various social media posts attributed to Professor Nwaeze, which is inimical to the interests of the University and uncomplimentary to the Visitor of the University.”

The school management subsequently “constituted an Investigative Panel to consider the matter”.

“The suspension takes immediate effect pending the outcome of the investigation by the Panel,” it added.

The suspension comes after Nwaeze, in a social media post on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, addressed the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Abia State University branch, and raised concerns over the conditions of service of lecturers at the institution.

Nwaeze said ASUU-ABSU had “downed tools in what it described as a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike,” adding that some staff members had previously refrained from publicly discussing the situation because their concerns could have been dismissed as political statements.

“Had any of us brought this up before now, the issue would have been dismissed as a political statement and tagged “information from the enemies of the state,” he wrote.

He alleged that ASUU-ABSU members were among the least-paid university lecturers in Nigeria and claimed they were still being paid under the 2009 ASUU/FG Salary Structure.

Nwaeze also alleged that lecturers promoted between 2023 and 2026 had not received salaries reflecting their new ranks, while some union members had allegedly gone as long as 44 months without receiving their salaries.

He further claimed that arrears were not being paid, union dues deducted by the government were not being remitted to ASUU and that lecturers at ABSU had never received Earned Academic Allowances in the history of the university.

Nwaeze also alleged that about N163 million in cooperative deductions was owed by the government.

He questioned the disparity between the remuneration of ABSU professors and their counterparts in federal and other state universities, claiming that professors elsewhere earned between N1.3 million and N1.4 million.

“Let me be blunt at this time. Did you know that most professors in ABSU earn less than N400k monthly?” he wrote.

He also compared the alleged earnings of ABSU professors with those of commercial tricycle operators, stating that a Keke driver earning N15,000 daily could earn more than a professor at the university.

The professor further claimed that more than 85 per cent of lecturers no longer drove their cars and alleged that staff members were effectively subsidising the state government to perform their duties.

He appealed to the Abia State Government to resolve the dispute, saying, “All men of good conscience should plead with the Abia State government to pay ASUU-ABSU staff their due pay and end this strike within the shortest time.”

Following the announcement of his suspension on Thursday, Nwaeze reacted through another social media post, in which he appeared to acknowledge the development while maintaining his position.

“In life, somebody must pay the price for the liberation of others,” Nwaeze wrote.

He added, “Don’t sympathize with me; instead, direct your sympathy to the paymasters.”

The university has not disclosed the specific social media posts it considered inimical to its interests or uncomplimentary to the Visitor beyond its reference to “various social media posts attributed to Professor Nwaeze.”

According to the Varsity authorities, the suspension will remain in effect pending the outcome of the investigation by the panel constituted by the university management.

On Wednesday, the Abia State University ASUU-branch (ASUU-ABSU) declared what it tagged ”a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action”.

In its letter marked “Notice of Industrial Action” to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, which was routed through the Vice-Chancellor, and signed by Dr Chidi S. Mba as Chairperson and Dr Victor U. Obisike, Secretary, the ASUU ABSU stated that its declaration for the strike action followed the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum it gave on July 22, 2026 over the demands of its members, and the window period between the expiration date and Tuesday.

It cited the persistence of the outstanding welfare demands of its members, that necessitated its resolve to embark on the strike action.