The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State has condemned the suspension of a lecturer at the Abia State University (ABSU), Prof. Nnamdi Nwaeze, describing the action as victimisation for speaking out against alleged poor welfare conditions affecting university lecturers.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, stated this today at a press conference in Umuahia, where he urged the ABSU authorities and the Abia State Government to immediately reverse the suspension and recall the professor.
Aguoru alleged that Nwaeze’s suspension was connected to his public comments on the welfare of university lecturers and other public servants, particularly concerns over salaries and working conditions.
He said it was unacceptable for a university professor to earn less than N400,000 monthly in 2026, while allegedly being paid under an outdated salary structure and subjected to the current tax regime.
According to him, the party was concerned that such conditions could further undermine the quality of education in the state.
The APC spokesman called on the state government to pay all outstanding salaries, allowances, promotion arrears and other legitimate entitlements owed to lecturers and workers in state-owned tertiary institutions.
He also urged the government to discontinue the alleged use of outdated salary structures and ensure that workers were paid according to approved remuneration frameworks.
Aguoru further called for an end to what he described as the victimisation, intimidation and harassment of civil servants who speak publicly on issues relating to workers’ welfare, governance and the public interest.
He appealed to the media and other stakeholders to speak against what he described as injustice in the education sector.
The APC also criticised the alleged accumulation of pension and gratuity arrears owed to retirees in the state.
Aguoru said it was unacceptable for retirees who had devoted their productive years to public service to remain unpaid for months, alleging that some were owed as much as 30 months of pension and other entitlements.
He called on the state government to demonstrate empathy by prioritising the payment of retirees and workers, arguing that government should ensure that available resources were used to meet its obligations.
The APC spokesman also expressed concern over alleged delays in the payment of salaries to some workers and called for urgent measures to address outstanding wage arrears.
On the internal affairs of the APC, Aguoru defended the party’s decision to refer some of its members and leaders to a disciplinary committee over alleged anti-party comments.
He said the party could not ignore public statements by its members that appeared to support opposition candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, the party had rules governing the conduct of its members and would apply its disciplinary procedures where necessary.
He disclosed that the disciplinary committee would examine comments attributed to some party leaders, including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Hon. Chris Nkwonta, and determine the appropriate action.
Aguoru said the party had given the affected members time to respond to the allegations, adding that discussions were already ongoing. He expressed confidence that the issues would eventually be resolved.
He, however, dismissed suggestions that the developments amounted to a crisis within the APC, insisting that the party remained united and prepared for the 2027 elections.
He expressed confidence that the party would win the elective positions it would contest in Abia State in the 2027 general elections.
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