From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
All academic activities have been grounded at the state-owned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma as the indefinite strike embarked upon by the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) assumed full effect.
Situation report from the university, yesterday, indicated that both staff and students have deserted the university campus as a result of the strike.
The union, through its Chairman, Monday Igbafen, hinged the reason for the strike on “the vexatious habitual non-payment of salaries and non-remittance of check-off dues and other sundry deductions in the university.”
According to him, the current strike is the climax of the failure of the university administration and Edo State Government to meaningfully and satisfactorily address the union’s demand for payment of unpaid four months salaries and one year not remitted check-off dues and other sundry deductions, which the union claimed is in billions of naira.
Igbafen reaffirmed the union’s resolve, yesterday, at Ekpoma to sustain the strike till the demand of the union is met.
Meanwhile, the other three staff unions in the university, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, National Association of Academic Technologists and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions had been on strike since last October for the same reason.