Staff Unions at the Abia State University Uturu says no action has been taken to up set their salary arrears one week after its peaceful protest.
Recall that the staff Unions including Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-academic staff of Education and Associated Institutions, and National Association of Academic Technologist had taken to the versity campus to protest six months unpaid salary last week.
The state government in a statement by the chief press secretary to the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Mr Onyebuchi Ememanka, had also approved the sum of 400 million Naira bailout fund for the state University to ameliorate its financial burdens.
But in a rejoinder signed by
Victor U. Nkemdirim, Ph.D, Ojo Ezichi Obasi
ASUU-ABSU Chairperson, and SSANU Chairman, Onuoha Canice Chika,
Elder Ndimele Okoro
NASU Chairman, NAAT Chairman the staff Unions lamented that no concrete action has been taken to solve their problems.
Read details of their stand.
Re: UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES AT ABIA STATE UNIVERSITY AND
Re: ABSU -REPRIEVE ON THE WAY
It is strange and extremely pertinent that a full week after the peaceful protest at Abia State University, Uturu by various unions over the nonpayment of six-month salaries, nothing tangible has been recorded beyond mere press statements on purported release of funds by the Abia State Government to the University.
For those who wish to know, it is very wrong to say that Abia State University staffers have never been owed salaries. Only a permanent OUTSIDER to the situation of things in the university could have said such a loaded bundle of lies.
We, the staff, have been suffering and smiling, believing and hoping that
the Management would do the needful without us washing our dirty linens in public.
As stated in our Press conference, WE ARE HEAVILY OWED. This
includes arrears of 2009 FGN/Staff Unions Agreements, our unremitted Co-operative money deducted from our salaries and seized, amongst others. These debts were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have been experiencing staggered salary payments for years now. Our salaries have never been paid at the end of each month. Rather it is usually one month-in-three-months staggered payment as it takes more than a month for everyone to receive his/her pay. In the past 10 years, it is probably once that staff at the university got their December salaries in December. In the rest of the period, December salaries would be received by February or March of the next year.
That the workers never carried placards of commendation for the management is a clear indication that all is not well at Abia State University. We did not march to the streets earlier before now to protest the inhuman treatment we have been experiencing because we believed in collective bargaining and dialogue. Our quietness was taken for granted. We have been pushed to the wall and we have to resist it.
The statutory subvention, which is supposed to be monthly, has never been regular and it is more often than not released just once or twice in a year and in many cases not released at all. By the way, how can the government of a state owned university contribute only 30% to the funding of her University? And this is very irregularly done! What we have in Abia State University is the reverse of what is obtainable to other State-owned Universities. It will interest the general public to know that in some other State- owned Universities the State governments contribute more than 80% of the funding of their University.
There are two pertinent questions to the government, the management of
Abia State University and indeed the author: Are the students of the state universities that paid their workers up till August 2020 on campus? Did the COVID-19 pandemic not disrupt academic activities in the Universities where staff were paid? Let us be properly guided.
The author of that piece - “Understanding the issues at Abia State University" -portrays the University as a private university. His equating Abia State University with a medical doctor's private clinic smacks of gross ignorance. His analogy is inappropriate and can only pass as a piece of propaganda. His is a case of the proverbial outsider who was not around when a corpse was buried and expectedly began to exhume it from a very wrong and dangerous position.
Abia State University is owned by the Abia State government and should be properly funded by the State like other State-owned universities.
It’s quite laughable when one out of lack of information takes to the media to say that “No University in the world can survive, pay salaries and maintain their services when it was shut down. It is impossible.” Many Universities in Nigeria (and of course, South Eastern Nigeria), not to talk of the ones outside Nigeria have paid their workers up till August 2020. And most of these universities provided the staff with palliatives.
The fact that the university has remained a signpost for Excellent and Service (the enviable heights and impressive standards achieved by the university) attest to the hardwork and commitment of staff in teaching, researching and community services. This notwithstanding, the staff welfare have not been responsibly taken care of over the years. Now, we have resolved not to suffer in silence anymore. It is very pitiable that a state-owned university will depend on its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to run the university.
The much advertised 400 million naira purportedly given to Abia State University as a bailout is with due respect a mere scratch to the problem. We need ₦1.6b to address the issue of salaries alone, not to talk of other outstanding benefits and arrears.
It is therefore important that we consider the following arrears to be able to understand how grossly inadequate the 400 million naira bailout is:
1. Monthly Wagebill ₦274,759,279.36 (Two Hundred and Seventy Four Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy Nine Naira Thirty-Six Kobo).
2. April - August 2020 salaries. = ₦1,197,642,610.91 (One Billion, One Hundred and Ninety-Seven Million, Six Hundred and Forty-Two Thousand, Six Hundred and Ten Naira, Ninety Kobo). Please, note that September salaries are not included here as we are yet to ascertain the total wagebill for September 2020 salaries payment.
3. Unremitted Co-operative deductions - ₦370,426,738.26 (Three Hundred and Seventy Million, Four Hundred and Thirty-Eight Naira Twenty Six Kobo).
4. Arrears of shortfall of 2009 FGN/Staff Unions Agreements, from July 2009 – December 2010, amounting to ₦1,530,293,850.82 (one billion, five hundred and thirty million, two hundred and ninety three thousand, eight hundred and fifty naira eighty two kobo).
5. Unremitted check-off dues. = ₦26,286,098.87 (Twenty Six Million, Two
Hundred and Eighty-Six Thousand, Ninety Eight Naira, Eighty Seven Kobo).
We thank the Abia State government for the interest they have shown in the approval of the release of 400m. We urge the government to demonstrate tangible interest, given the marked disparity between the approved release and the differential. Government should also ensure to mark up the release and also ensure that her directives are carried out to the latter without delay.
Signed: for and on behalf of the Unions.
Victor U. Nkemdirim, Ph.D Ojo Ezichi Obasi
ASUU-ABSU Chairperson SSANU Chairman.
Onuoha Canice Chika,
Elder Ndimele Okoro
NASU Chairman, NAAT Chairman.
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