The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma Chapter, has countered the Acting Vice Chancellor (AVC) of the University, Prof. Asomwan Adagbonyin over the non-payment of salaries of some staff members of the University running up to 32 months.
The Acting Vice Chancellor while briefing journalists said 1710 staff of the institution, comprising academic, senior non-teaching, and junior staff yesterday (Tuesday) received their August salaries, adding that 634 pensioners of the University were also paid.
According to the AVC, “This University (AAU) does not owe any staff or group of staff 32 months’ salaries. Any claim by anyone of being owed 32 months’ salaries is not only baseless but disingenuous, because AAU academic staff joined the 8-month national strike, and the no-work-pay rule was invoked”.
Prof. Adagbonyin who noted that anyone not on the payroll of the institution cannot lay claim to be its staff as alleged in the viral video, pointing out that AAU has never shown any lack of capacity to pay salaries to its staff.
In response through a press statement released to journalists in Benin City, and signed by Dr. Cyril Onogbosele and Dr. William Odion, the Chairman and Assistant Secretary of ASUU, AAU, Ekpoma Chapter respectively, ASUU described the AVC’s statement on the issue of unpaid salaries of staff for 32 months as “a masterpiece of deception, misinformation and propaganda”.
The Union insisted that many staff members had not been paid their salaries by the University Administration for up to 32 months, for no justifiable reasons, despite their hard work and dedication.
In addition, it disclosed that there was no record of trial or misconduct against the victims denied payment of their salaries to justify the ill-treatment meted out to them by the University Administration.
ASUU described the biometric verification exercise touted as the reason for the non-payment of salaries of some staff members as a smokescreen.
According to the Union, “By distorting facts and attributing the non-payment of salaries to a politicized, compromised, and inconclusive biometric verification exercise conducted in 2021, the University Administration has demonstrated a lack of accountability and transparency”.
Furthermore, the Union stated, “There is no official report of the so-called staff biometric verification exercise in the University. Records of previous biometric exercises are still in the University”.
The Union, further, stated, “The use of biometric verification exercise as a tool for oppression and victimization of staff, particularly Union members, started during the tyrannical regime of the defunct Special Intervention Team (SIT) of the University.
The real issue is the University’s deliberate use of selective payment of salary to witch-hunt some staff members who strongly criticize and oppose the aberrational administration of the University.
Contrary to the claim by the University Administration, many of the staff denied payment of salaries were recently promoted by the University authorities in April 2024 based on an appraisal from 2017 to 2022 after much delay. Is this not an indication that they are hard-working and dutiful staff?”
The Union wondered for how long the University Administration would continue to run the University on lies.
Additionally, the Union asked, “Beyond staff members who have not been paid salaries because of the so-called biometric exercise, can the University Administration deny arbitrary stoppage of the salaries of many staff for over one year, some of whom have recently been paid on the intervention by the newly constituted Governing Council?”
The Union disclosed further that the University Administration was yet to resolve the issues of 7 months of withheld salaries of staff over the ASUU strike between 14th February 2022 and 16th October 2022; stoppage of responsibility allowances of office-holders (Deans, Sub-Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments and Examination Officers) by the University; stoppage of incremental salary benefits for the past 3 years in violation of the salary structure of staff; stoppage of payment of excess workload (earned academic allowance) arrears, and non-issuance of pay-slips when salaries are paid.
Also, the Union condemned the default of the University Administration on the remittance of third-party deductions (membership dues and cooperative savings) for Staff Unions (ASUU, SSANU, NAAT, and NASU) in the University.
The Union stated that from September 2020 to November 2021, the University Administration deliberately refused and failed to remit deducted check-off dues of ASUU amounting to the sum of 27 million naira, and cooperative savings to AAU Lecturers’ Welfare Association (AAULWA), totaling over 566 million naira.
The Union described the default as a deliberate attempt by the University Administration to financially strangulate staff unions in the University and make them ineffectual.
“By Labour Act, it is illegal for an employer to deduct the dues of members of a registered trade union in its establishment and not remit same promptly”, the Union stated.
The Union also stated that the University Administration had stopped deductions and remittance of third-party deductions, particularly check-off dues, and union members’ welfare savings to further weaken the staff unions. While calling on the Visitor to the University and Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki to intervene and urgently resolve the crises in the University, the Union stated that the suffering and demoralization of workers in the University will not be alleviated by propaganda and misinformation by the University Administration.
Therefore, it demanded immediate payment of all outstanding salaries of staff, remittance of all withheld third-party deductions, and the resolution of all the issues and concerns raised by ASUU.
