The suspension was announced in a statement issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026, by the institution's Deputy Registrar and Public Relations Officer, Chijioke Nwogu, who said the posts were considered inimical to the interests of the university.
According to the university management, the professor was suspended over various social media publications which were described as uncomplimentary to the Visitor of the university, Governor Alex Otti, and capable of bringing the institution to disrepute.
The controversy began after Nwaeze, on Wednesday, posted on his Facebook account alleging that members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities at ABSU were among the least-paid university lecturers in Nigeria, despite their qualifications and years of service.
In the post, the Economics professor alleged that lecturers at the university were still being paid under the 2009 ASUU-Federal Government salary structure, while being taxed based on the 2024 tax rate, a situation he described as unfair and unsustainable for academics.
He further claimed that commercial tricycle riders, popularly known as Keke riders, earn more monthly than professors in the university, a comparison that quickly went viral on social media and generated widespread reactions across the state.
DailyVista247 gathered that the lecturer had consistently raised concerns on social media against poor governance and poor remuneration in state-owned tertiary institutions, stating that professors in federal and other state universities earn between ₦1.3 million and ₦1.4 million monthly.
At the current salary scale in ABSU, a professor earns less than ₦400,000 in 2026 using the 2009 salary structure, according to the lecturer's claim, which has now become a subject of public debate in Abia State.
He also alleged that lecturers promoted between 2023 and 2026 had not received salaries reflecting their new ranks, with many still earning based on their previous positions despite official promotion letters.
Reacting to the development, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ABSU chapter, rejected the suspension and vowed to sustain its ongoing strike action. The Chairman of ASUU-ABSU, Dr. Chidi Mbah, explained that the union had made its position clear during a meeting with the university management.
The union argued that the action was taken without following due process and without issuing queries to the professor or giving him opportunity for fair hearing as stipulated in the university edict.
Political parties including the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party have condemned the suspension, describing it as an attack on freedom of expression and an attempt to silence concerns about underpayment of lecturers in the institution.
The university management has not disclosed full details of the disciplinary process, but stated that the social media posts were inimical to the interests of the university and its Visitor. The development continues to generate mixed reactions among students, staff and residents in Abia State.
