Lecturers of Niger Delta University (NDU) have called on President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the Federal Government’s proposed loan scheme for lecturers, describing it as a diversionary move aimed at impoverishing academics.

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), NDU chapter, Comrade Lucky Bebeteidor Oyinkepreye, made this known during a peaceful protest on Tuesday at the university premises.

He accused the government of toying with lecturers’ sensibilities rather than addressing their long-standing demands.

ASUU-NDU members, after an emergency meeting, staged the protest carrying placards with inscriptions such as: “Federal Government should sign the 2009 renegotiated agreement,” “Release already budgeted revitalisation funds for public universities,” and “Pay 25%, 35% wage awards.”

Oyinkepreye said despite the subsisting 2009 agreement reached with the Yayale Ahmed Committee, the Federal Government has refused to honour the terms.

He stressed that lecturers do not need government loans, pointing out that ASUU chapters nationwide have cooperative societies that already provide such support.

“In NDU alone, we have two cooperatives we can take loans from if need be. The FG does not even need to give us loans, especially not one that is not budgeted for. They want to divert monies from TETFund to give to academics. We don’t want loans; we want our outstanding 25% and 35% wage awards paid,” he said.

Oyinkepreye also called on the Bayelsa State Government to settle the 19 months of unpaid salaries owed to lecturers, stressing that what they need is a salary increment, not loans.

“They have succeeded in making our children (students) take educational loans for studies. Now they want to enslave the parents (lecturers) with loans,” he added.