Lecturers in Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma, has advised their students not to even bother resuming school even if the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) finalizes agreement with the Federal Goverment, stating that the local branch of the union still has its issues with Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State and owner of the institution.
Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma Chapter of ASUU says, that teeming students of the state-owned University would not resume studies with other students in public universities in the country at the suspension of the ongoing national strike until all pending issues are resolved by the institution’s management.
The University’s Chapter of ASUU in a statement in Benin City on Wednesday expressed its strong resolve to continue with the ongoing strike if the outstanding salaries, including all arrears of salaries, check-off dues, and other sundry deductions, are not paid up-to-date before the end or suspension of the lingering nationwide strike by the Union in public Universities in the country.
The Union in the statement signed by Dr. Monday Igbafen and Dr. Anthony Aizebioje-Coker, the Chairperson and Secretary of ASUU AAU Ekpoma respectively recalled its several efforts to get the University Administration and the State Government to off-set or settle the arrears of more than three (3) months salaries and more than eight (8) months arrears of check-off dues and other sundry deductions which the Union puts at more than N1.3 billion.
This indication is coming on the heels of the increasing effort by the Federal Government to meet the demands of ASUU to end the Union’s strike which has crippled academic activities in public Universities for more than eight (8) months.
Among the key issues associated with the ongoing strike are funding for Revitalization of Public Universities; Earned Academic Allowances/Earned Allowances (EAA/EA); Salary Shortfall; State Universities; Visitation Panels; Re-constitution of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Re-negotiation Committee; University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS); and Withheld Salaries and Non-remittance of Check off Dues.
Citing its Congress meeting of 4th December, 2020, where the University’s lecturers unanimously took a resolution to continue with strike even if the ASUU called off the ongoing nationwide strike.
The Union urged students and parents to hold the University Administration and the State Government responsible for a prolong strike in the University as a result of their indebtedness to workers in non-payment of salaries, check-off dues and other sundry deductions.
According to the Union, “enough is enough of the suffering the staff of the university are passing through as a result of non-payment of salaries and sundry deductions”.
The Union strongly advised that the salary crisis in the University should, in this period of nation-wide strike, be sorted out to avoid the continual keeping of students of the University at home after the end of the nation-wide strike.
