Breaking: Tension At UNIBEN Over Academic Staff August half Salary Pay  

by Idahosa Musa

Half salary payment to Academic Staff of the University of Benin for the month of August is generating tension among Academic Staff Union of the University, ASUU.

Non-Academic staff of the University were, however, paid their full salary for August.

It was learnt that the payment of the August half salary to the Academic staff was made without payment for other allowances and that it came as a surprise as the University management failed to give any prior notice to the ASUU members.

Lecturers who took loans from the University are said to be hard-hit by the development as they virtually had nothing to take home for the month.

The August half salary pay which came ahead of resumption of schools later this month, is said to have placed many of the Academic Staff in a very tight corner in terms of provision for their children and wards.

It was learnt that apart from the five months arrears released by the Federal Government as part of the implementation of the ASUU-FG agreement, the Government had quietly shifted the implementation of the agreement to the Universities without funding.

Reacting to the August half salary pay in what it termed “important notice”, the leadership of ASUU UNIBEN Branch said it “has met with the University Administration over the payment of August salary, and we have been assured by University Administration that more alerts will come soon: that, there should be no cause for alarm. We all should therefore remain calm.”

The statement was signed by the Secretary of the Union, Dr. L. O. Aimiyekagbon.

But the Chairman of the Union, Dr. Enaruna Edosa, who said the August half pay came as a surprise, however disclosed that three days later, management of the University paid Professorial allowances to deserving members of Academic Staff of the University, adding “I believe the Vice Chancellor that the outstanding half salary will be paid”.

It was gathered that management of the University paid Academic Staff half salary for August from the University’s Internationally generated revenue following the Federal Government’s failure to send subvention to the University.