A lecturer from the Department of English at the University of Port Harcourt, Mazi Eze, has expressed his frustration after being denied a N5 million loan, citing his monthly salary of N191,000 as the reason.
Sharing his experience on his Facebook page, Eze recounted his visit to First Bank, Choba, where he sought financial support to enhance his Public Speaking Academy Limited and acquire social media gadgets. However, he was informed by his account officer that his salary was insufficient for the desired loan amount.
Expressing disappointment over the challenges faced by academic staff members at the University of Port Harcourt, Eze highlighted a significant salary gap compared to counterparts in other universities. He mentioned that colleagues in Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Bori Polytechnic, and Rivers State University reportedly receive monthly incomes ranging from N230,000 to N250,000.
In his post, Eze wrote, “Yesterday, I got insulted big time! By my UNIPORT salary! I went to my bank, First Bank, Choba 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.”
He continued, “‘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.’ I shook my head and replied, ‘I don’t need 1.something million. What I need is N5 million. I need to fully equip my Public Speaking Academy Limited. I need to buy some gadgets for my social media engagements.’ The lady said, ‘Sorry Sir, your salary cannot carry it.’ That day, I went home without getting the loan. I went home sad. Angry. Depressed.”
Eze also questioned the salary scale at the University of Port Harcourt, emphasizing the disparity compared to other federal universities. He expressed his weariness, 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!”
