Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The management of Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU), has suspended Professor Nnamdi Chinwendu Nwaeze of the Department of Economics with immediate effect, following a series of social media posts in which he publicly criticised the poor remuneration and welfare of academic staff at the institution, and controversially claimed that some professors earn less than commercial tricycle operators. The suspension, announced on Thursday, August 13, 2026, in a statement signed by the university's Deputy Registrar and Public Relations Officer, Chijioke Nwogu, has ignited a fierce debate over academic freedom, freedom of speech, and the dire state of university funding in Nigeria.
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 statement added that an Investigative Panel had been constituted to consider the matter, and that the suspension would remain in effect "pending the outcome of the investigation by the Panel."
The controversy began on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, when Professor Nwaeze took to his Facebook page to address the ongoing indefinite strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), ABSU branch. In a lengthy post, the professor detailed a litany of grievances that have long festered within the university's academic community, grievances that he said had previously been suppressed for fear of political reprisal. "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.
Nwaeze's post laid bare the stark realities facing lecturers at the state-owned university. He alleged that ASUU-ABSU members were among the least-paid university lecturers in Nigeria, still being paid under the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government Salary Structure. He claimed that lecturers promoted between 2023 and 2026 had not received salaries reflecting their new ranks, and that some union members had allegedly gone as long as 44 months without receiving their salaries. Arrears, he said, were not being paid, and union dues deducted by the government were not being remitted to ASUU. Most damningly, he claimed that lecturers at ABSU had never received Earned Academic Allowances in the history of the university, and that about N163 million in cooperative deductions was owed by the government.
It was his comparison of academic salaries to those of commercial tricycle operators, however, that proved most explosive. "Let me be blunt at this time. Did you know that most professors in ABSU earn less than N400k monthly?" he wrote. He then calculated that a Keke driver earning N15,000 daily could earn more than a professor at the university, a statement that quickly went viral and drew national attention. He also 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.
The suspension has been met with widespread criticism from academics, students, and civil society groups, who view the action as an attack on academic freedom and a blatant attempt to silence dissent. Many have questioned the university's decision to punish a professor for speaking the truth about the conditions under which he and his colleagues work. The university's reference to the posts being "uncomplimentary to the Visitor of the University" – a reference to Governor Alex Otti, who serves as the university's Visitor – has further fuelled suspicions that the suspension was politically motivated.
The development comes against the backdrop of an indefinite strike declared by ASUU-ABSU on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, over unresolved welfare issues. The union had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the university's pro-chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council, which expired without any meaningful response from the authorities. The strike has effectively shut down academic activities at the institution, with lecturers withdrawing their services from all academic and administrative functions.
Professor Nwaeze's suspension has also drawn attention to the broader crisis of university funding in Nigeria. Across the country, lecturers at federal and state universities have repeatedly complained of poor pay, lack of infrastructure, and the erosion of academic standards. The Federal Government and state governments have often been accused of paying lip service to the needs of the tertiary education sector, while lecturers are forced to struggle with salaries that have not kept pace with inflation.
In his post, Nwaeze appealed to the Abia State Government to resolve the dispute, urging "all men of good conscience" to "plead with the Abia State government to pay ASUU-ABSU staff their due pay and end this strike within the shortest time." Instead, he has been suspended, and his case will now be subject to an investigation that could determine his future at the university.
Following the announcement of his suspension, 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 truth," he wrote, suggesting that he was prepared to bear the consequences of his outspokenness.
The suspension of Professor Nnamdi Nwaeze has become a symbol of the challenges facing academics in Nigeria who dare to speak truth to power. His claim that a Keke driver earns more than a university professor is not just a provocative statement; it is a damning indictment of a system that has systematically devalued education and those who dedicate their lives to it. As the investigative panel begins its work, the academic community and the public will be watching closely to see whether the university will uphold the principles of academic freedom and free expression, or whether it will choose to punish a professor for telling an uncomfortable truth.
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