Is stopping university lecturers’ salaries right?

I thought I do not need to write to President Buhari again after the incident of 2016, when his administration introduced some regulations on forex transactions and banned the use of all Nigerian ATMs abroad which put the lives of many Nigerians abroad in danger, while others were left stranded, even with their legitimate earnings. […]

I thought I do not need to write to President Buhari again after the incident of 2016, when his administration introduced some regulations on forex transactions and banned the use of all Nigerian ATMs abroad which put the lives of many Nigerians abroad in danger, while others were left stranded, even with their legitimate earnings. Many Nigerian students abroad suffered the consequences of that action. I was among those victims because I remember terminating my study abroad then to return to Nigeria early 2017.

Only God knows how many Nigerians with big dreams you put on hold as a result of your action, because not every Nigerian living abroad is eating from the government funds. Many suffered day and night to earn it.  With all honesty, I am yet to understand the rationale behind that policy.

Now, you have turned down your spectacles against university lecturers and refused to see beyond the shadows. You stopped their salaries without any genuine reason. Your government refused to understand the concept of university autonomy which is enjoyed all over the globe as best international practices for public universities to allow for the efficient running of their affairs.

No sensible government will stop the salaries of its citizens for no apparent reason. There are many more pressing issues and more important sectors in the country that need your decisiveness such as security, the rampant kidnapping, the in-house wrangling in your cabinet, the smuggling of petroleum products among many others. Upon all these, your minister has no shame to come publicly to inform the world that lecturers not captured on IPPIS will not get their February salary, and they didn’t as of today 6th of March. What a blunder! Do you have an idea of how many responsibilities each of those lecturers has on their plate, or how many people depend on them? They have families. Mr. President, do you really know what is going on in Nigeria, I mean the hardship Nigerians are facing day and night, and then BOOM this one?

I can only expect you to use your conscience, if you think stopping the salary of your staff without due consideration is the right call, so be it!

Khalid Garba Mohammed wrote from Milan, Italy ([email protected])