The Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), Benin zone yesterday issued a 14 days ultimatum to the Governing Councils to pay in full salary shortfall and arrears owned Universities or risk industrial action.
The aggrieved ASUU members at a press conference in Benin, Edo State which was attended by representatives in the zone also lamented the pitiable state of state owned Universities and noted that the shortfall of subvention and fraction payment of salaries in the last months had affected the smooth running of academic activities.
Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Professor Anthony Monye-Emina, described the action of the federal government as an “affront which will no longer be condoned” and advised “arrear government to rise up to their responsibilities and interface with the owner-governments of these institutions and stop the fraction and owned forthwith
“ For a while now Governing Council of public Universities across the Country have been paying fractions rather than full salaries to workers in these institutions. In some cases, it is a case of owned salaries; running into months. These unfortunate and condemnable developments are balmed on shortfall in and non-release of subvention from governments
“In University of Benin and Federal University of Petroleum Resources,(FUPR), Ogbomoro, Warri, the two federal Universities in Benin Zone, the shortfall in the from government are only able to meet about 80 percent of monthly salary.
“The state Universities in the zone are worst off. In Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, the staff of the institution have been without salary for six months; In the same Ondo state , the older University, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, salary is in arrear of five months, March will make it six”
“ These developments are unacceptable especially given the current harsh economic climate and also considering that the salary in question is a product of collective bargaining. They amount to unilateral cut in and seizure of salary and breaches of the outcome of collective bargaining process that midwifed the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement”