AAU lecturers threaten to down tools

ACADEMIC activities at the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, may soon be disrupted as the local branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a trade dispute with the state government over what it termed as “abnormal administration of the institution.”

Specifically, the union is protesting poor funding by the government and failure to reconstitute the governing council in the last one year.

In a letter addressed to governor, Godwin Obaseki, and jointly signed by branch chairman (Dr. Monday Igbafen) and secretary (Dr. A. Aizbioje –Coker), ASUU has given the government a deadline of October 1 to satisfactorily resolve all the issues.

The union said that if this is not done, the union would be free to take any legitimate action in defence of the institution.

It lamented that the failure by the government to reconstitute the governing council had led to the absence of the normal check or oversight function(s) expected from governing council on the university’s administration, particularly on possible arbitrariness and infractions in due process.

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“The union (recalls) its several visits to the Government House, Benin City, and also to Ministry of Education to interface with the Commissioner for Education on the need to reconstitute the governing council of the university without the desired result.

“It is imperative, therefore, to note that the university is being made to run for too long on abnormal basis which the absence of a governing council has created. The consequences are (numerous) to the extent that several issues of policy direction, sensitive financial and administrative approvals and decisions that require the final attention of the governing council are either kept on hold or circumvented.

“Instant examples are that the engagement /employment of staff, the annual appraisal and promotion exercise of staff, and staff disciplinary processes.”

The union also lamented that tender’s board’s approvals and other related issues have not been satisfactorily addressed in accordance with the institution’s laws and traditions since August, 2017.

On the allegation of chronic underfunding, the union noted that the monthly wage bill of the university presently stands at more than N460 million while the state’s monthly subvention is N234,500 million, out of which  more than N42 million is deducted at source by the government as tax.

It noted that this has imposed serious pressure on the ability of the university to source funds internally; and that when the source runs dry, the institution usually resorts to borrowing from banks to pay salaries.