ASUU Debunks Payment Of Outstanding Salaries In AAU, Ekpoma
Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU on Tuesday says the salary crisis in the Edo State-owned University has not been resolved as being speculated in the social media.
The University’s Chapter of ASUU in a statement signed by the Chairman and Acting Secretary, Dr. Cyril Onogbosele and Dr. William Odion, respectively stated that the claim was contrary to the wide-spread speculation in the social media, which indicated that the Edo State Government had paid all outstanding salaries of staff in the University.
“The alleged payment of all outstanding salaries of staff in AAU, Ekpoma is very far from the truth” ASUU said.
The statement made available to newsmen in Benin City emphatically stated: “the reality in AAU, Ekpoma as at today Tuesday, 7th of March, 2023 is a wide spread restiveness, worry and sorrow as a result of a wicked continuation of selective payment of salary to some staff by the University Administration, and in this case, the payment of only February 2023 salaries, leaving majority of staff and huge unpaid salary arrears and deductions”.
The social media has been dominated since last week by the news that “the salaries and arrears of over 504 teaching and non teaching staff in AAU have just been paid today 3rd March 2023”.
The Union reiterated that “it is false that all arrears of salaries of staff in the University have been paid. It is a mere rumour designed to deceive and confuse the general public over the persistent salary crisis in the University”.
According to ASUU, many staff of the University, particularly, over fifty 50 per cent of our members have been deliberately denied payment of salaries by the University Administration for 14, 11, 8 and other categories of months (January – December 2022 and January 2023) for no just course.
“The University Administration has adopted the practice of selective payment of monthly salaries to unleash hunger, pain and frustration on many staff and complicate the salary debacle”, the Union said.
According to the Union, though February 2023 staff salary has been paid, it is still the old pattern of selective payment of salary.
“Many staff of the University, both academic and non-academic staff, have complained of been left out in the payment schedule.
“We reasoned that the selective payment of salaries of staff is deliberately designed by the University Administration to unduly punish some staff perceived as their enemies.
“We queried why the University Administration would embark on such unholy treatment of some staff when they have not been convicted of any misconduct or violation of the University’s Rules and Regulations”, the union said.
The Union also accused the University Administration of being in default of remittance of deductions for staff unions’ check-off dues for not less than twenty seven (27) months, with effect from September 2020.
It further alleged that staff cooperative societies and saving schemes have also suffered setbacks due to non-remittance of deductions to the relevant beneficiaries by the University Administration.
All these have immensely contributed to the financial ill-health of staff in the University, according to many stakeholders who have critically examined the crisis in the University.
Reports from the University also indicated that the non-academic staff unions (SSANU, NAAT and NASU) of the University are on the same page with ASUU in the struggle against non-payment/selective payment of staff salaries by University Administration.
They corroborated the position of ASUU that some of their members were being owed several months of salaries and that February 2023 salary was selectively paid to their members.
Several concerned persons and stakeholders however warned against politicization of salary payment in the University, stating that it would be counterproductive.
Consequently, they implored the University Administration and Edo State Government to justly resolve the salary crisis in the University urgently.
© Independent news
