From Tony Osauzo, Benin

The National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Edo Government, were yesterday called upon to urgently intervene in the lingering industrial crisis at the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, in order to reposition the institution for better learning and development.

The Benin Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) made the call in Benin at a news conference, which the zonal Coordinator, Prof. Fred Esumeh, was necessitated by he called ‘the marketing of lies, propaganda, mischief and blackmail’ against the branch of the union in the institution.

Joined by the chairmen of branches under the zone, Esumeh said the union frowned at the poor funding and mismanagement of the university’s resources with the management’s inability to meet its obligation of payment of staff emoluments, hence a resort to irregular and selective payment of salaries.

He said the recent reduction in the monthly subvention of the university to an abysmally low N41.3 million from N270 million has led to the workers being owed 20 months salary arrears from 2020 to date, with 15 months of unremitted sundry deductions to staff unions, adding that the total amount the university owed the union members and associations is N4 trillion.

“The state government must of a necessity intervene at this point to clear the arrears of emoluments of workers of the university.

“For what it is, the problem is a catalyst for industrial crisis and therefore a threat to the smooth running of the academic calendar and the general administration of the university,” he said.

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Commenting on the current management model AAU, Esumeh described it as bizarre and far from the ideal administrative style of university administration in the country, noting that the institution was being run on an ad hoc basis with an amendment to its law, which steps up Special Intervention Team (SIP) as against Governing Council required by the NUC.

Besides, he said the management might be de-marketing the quality and value of a certificate of degree programmes in the school by forcing the resumption of academic activities in the school and illegal conduct of examinations without the input of relevant course lecturers.

Other issues, the ASUU coordinator said needed the stakeholders’ immediate attention included the suppression of staff rights and freedom of association, controversial and inconclusive biometrics among others, pointing out that in order to achieve industrial peace at the university, the management and the Edo government would have to return to the path of truth, dialogue and sincere commitment to the resolution of the crisis.

“All outstanding emoluments – salaries, check-off dues and other deductions of staff in the university should be paid without further delay to avoid the continuation of the local strike when the national strike is suspended.

“The Edo Government should approve a bail-out fund for the university and satisfactorily increase the monthly subvention to the university.

“The ongoing academic fraud in the university should be investigated and dealt with decisively. We, therefore, call on the regulatory agency, the NUC to immediately do the needful.

“The Edo Government should make haste to release a white paper on the report of the Special Visitation Panel to the university in Oct. 2020 to deter further embezzlement of the finances of the university and mismanagement of its affairs,” Esumeh said and
called for the restoration of governing council to pave way for the immediate appointment of substantive principal officers.