Okhide Em’ya David
Staff of the Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State of Nigeria are demanding immediate payment of their outstanding Salaries, unpaid check-off dues and other deductions from staff salaries as well as Statutory Financial benefits totaling about one billion Naira.
The state-owned university under the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ignatius A. Onimawo is allegedly owing its staff or workforce more than one billion naira as unpaid salaries, check-off dues and other deductions from staff salaries, it was learnt yesterday.
Sources said the more than one billion naira indebtedness to workers of the University is a cumulative of unpaid salaries, unremitted check-off dues to staff unions, unpaid staff savings of workers cooperative societies, other welfare associations and organizations in the University.
Investigation revealed that the University has defaulted in meeting financial needs of the staff including remittance of Check-off dues, voluntary savings and other deductions since March, 2020 as well as being unable to pay its workforce full salaries for 8 months.
The Chairman Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) AAU Chapter, Professor Monday Igbafen, while commenting on the problem said an uneasy calm pervades the University’s Campuses adding that as at the time of speaking, the university owes and is holding on to their check-off dues of more than N13 million naira, being amount deducted by the University as the Unions dues.
He added that the University administration has also defaulted in paying more than N276,899,334.00 (two hundred and seventy-six million, eight hundred and ninety-nine thousand, three hundred and thirty-four naira only), being amount duly deducted by the University in favor of the University’s Lecturers Welfare and more than N20,193,983.00 (twenty million, one hundred and ninety-three thousand, nine hundred and eighty-three naira only), being amount deducted by the University in favor of ASUU ACADA Cooperative Society.
Professor Igbafe added that more than N359,478,254.94 (three hundred and fifty-nine million, four hundred and seventy-eight thousand, two hundred and fifty-four naira, ninety-four kobo), is being held by the University Administration being amount duly deducted by the University in favor of the general Cooperative Society of the university’s workers.
He said these unpaid salaries and unremitted dues and sundry deductions amount to more than N669,571, 571.94 (six hundred and sixty-nine million naira, five hundred and seventy-one thousand, five hundred and seventy-one naira, ninety-four kobo)
Professor Igbafen said other staff unions and organizations or Associations in the university have their own sad tales to tell about the huge debt the university owes them in form of check-off dues and other deductions running into millions of naira.
Corroborating the views of ASUU Chairperson of the University, Chairman of the University’s Chapter of National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Mr. Bayo Jim Omoikhoje, said Authorities of AAU are owing his Union more than N16,342,648.00 (sixteen million, three hundred and forty two thousand, six hundred and forty eight naira only) being amount deducted by the University as NAAT check-off dues.
Igbafe’s words: “ASUU as a Union, had exercised a rare restraint from agitation because of the recent tensed political situation in our dear state, which has, however, been doused by the successful conduct of the gubernatorial election of September 19, 2020.”
“We are delighted that the election ended on a good note. The right time has therefore come to call on the Council and the state government to be responsive to the plight of workers and other several problems and challenges in the University.”
It was gathered that ASUU and other staff Unions in the University are currently threatening brimstones over the indebtedness of the university to staff.
He said the University’s staff Unions are up in arms, having met last week with the Governing Council of the University led by Mr. Lawson Omokhiodion over the tense situation in the Ivory Tower.
The Chairman of ASUU , AAU Chapter observed that the staff Unions are unanimous in their demand for the immediate payment of their salaries up to date and all arrears of our check-off dues, voluntary savings and other deductions, failing which the University may not be far from industrial action.
The agitation of staff unions over unpaid salaries is coming on the heels of allegation of gross corruption amongst the university’s hierarchy of authorities, and the commencement of sitting by the state government’s special Visitation Panel .
AAU authorities blame inability to pay salaries, others on dwindled revenue from govt
Meanwhile, authorities of Ambrose Ali University has conceded that the inability to pay the lecturers is as a result of dwindling allocation from the state government and the closure of schools due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Public Relations Officers of the school, Mr. Edward Aihevba, in response to purported agitation by the Unions for strife explained that school fees from students make up half of the monthly salary of N420m of workers, adding that with the outbreak of the dreaded disease, the school has not been able to pay salaries for the months of August and September.
The spokesman added: “We are owing two months of salaries. Our wage bill is N420 million monthly and only able to pay through school fees and subvention from the state government but with COVID-19, allocation from government has dwindled while the collection of school fees is zero.
“We are only able to pay through prudent management of resources. We are presently owing September and October salaries. We are owing N840 million and not N1 billion.”
