ASUU Gives Governing Councils 14 Days to Correct Salary Irregularities

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday issued a 14 days ultimatum to governing councils of Universities across the country to as a matter of urgency rectify the irregularities witnessed in the payment of workers’ salaries or be faced with an indefinite strike action.

Addressing newsmen, Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Anthony I. Monye Emina said the unilateral cut and seizure of staff salaries is unacceptable to the union considering the present economic reality of the country


Emina who said the union will go out of its way to ensure that governing councils of universities who all of a sudden started paying fractions rather than full salary to workers in the institutions of learning added that in some cases, it was a case of owed salary running into months.

He said it has become necessary to let the public know of the new offense of the governing councils and governments against the peace in the nation's universities even though the development has been blamed on the shortfall in and non-release of subventions from governments.



He said some universities could not pay their staff in the previous months while University of Benin and Federal University of Petroleum Resources were only able to meet up with 80% of their monthly salary.

He said, “These unfortunate and condemnable developments are blamed on shortfall in and non-release of subventions from governments. In University of Benin, Benin City and Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPR), Ogbomoro, near Warri, the two federal universities in Benin zone, the shortfalls in releases from government are only able to meet about 80% of monthly salary.

“In the case of the former university, some staff of the institution were not paid along with others in the month of January 2017 and further shortfall caused the university to accommodate only 80% of salary of its workers in February.

“The scenario is not different in FUPR and it is likely to be repeated in the month of March”. He stated.

He continued, “This shortfalls and owed arrears of salary cut across public universities in the country and not peculiar to those in the zone. 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 the collective bargaining process that midwifed the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement.

“ASUU is using this opportunity to advise the governing councils of these institutions and to put them on notice that this is an affront which will no longer be condoned. They are advised to rise up to their responsibilities and interface with the owner-governments of these institutions and stop the fractional payments and owed arrears forthwith. The union is giving the governing councils 14 days”. He further added.