Mazi Eze, a lecturer at the Department of English, University of Port Harcourt, has shared his frustration after being denied a N5 million loan by First Bank, Choba. The lecturer, in a post on his Facebook page on Thursday, expressed disappointment at the challenges faced by academic staff members at the institution, highlighting a significant salary gap compared to counterparts in other universities

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Eze narrated his experience at First Bank, Choba, where he sought a loan to enhance his Public Speaking Academy Limited and acquire social media gadgets. However, he was told by his account officer that his monthly salary of N191,000 was insufficient for the requested loan amount.

In his Facebook post, Eze wrote, “Yesterday, I got insulted big time! By my UNIPORT salary! I wanted to borrow N5 million. My account officer, a jolly good lady, said, ‘We cannot give you up to that amount as a loan.’ ‘Why?’ I asked.”

“‘Your salary cannot carry it. Wait, let me see.’ She clicked away at her desktop computer and said, ‘Your salary is N191,000. We can only give you 1. something million repayable within three years.’”

Expressing his disappointment, Eze highlighted the salary gap between academic staff at the University of Port Harcourt and those in other institutions. He mentioned colleagues at Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Bori Polytechnic, and Rivers State University reportedly receiving monthly incomes ranging from N230,000 to N250,000.

Eze questioned the disparity in salary scales among federal universities, stating, “In the next six to eight years, by God’s grace and through determination and diligence, I’ll become a professor, and my salary will be a miserable N440,000 monthly. Me, I’m tired sef!”

The post sparked discussions on social media platforms, with many users expressing sympathy for Eze’s situation and highlighting the broader issue of salary disparities within the academic sector.