Contrary to the recent claim by some persons on social media, the authorities of Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma in Edo state, have denied allegations of owing any staff of the institution to the tune of 32 months arrears
Prof. Asomwan Sonnie Adagbonyin, Acting Vice Chancellor of the Institution, made the disavowal on Tuesday in Ekpoma, the administrative headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area in the state
He described the claim of the people against the university as clear mischief, and calculated desire by them to turn truth upside down, as well as to weep up sentiments.
The Vice Chancellor disclosed that a total of 1710 staff of the institution, comprising academic, senior non-teaching and junior staff on Tuesday received their August salaries, adding that 634 pensioners of the University were also paid.
He said: “I welcome you to this briefing which seeks to provide clarifications on one of the issues concerning this University (AAU) that have dominated the media space of late.
“You are aware of a trending video in which some persons alleged that staff of the University were being owed several months of salaries, the highest being 32 months.
“The sweeping generalisations by the speakers in that video showed clear mischief and a desire to turn truth on its head, whip up sentiments and cast the University in a shadow of wickedness, lack of empathy, brutality and incapacity.
“This University (AAU) is not owing any staff or group of staff 32 months salaries. Any claim by anyone of being owed 32 months salaries is not only baseless but disingenuous, considering the fact that AAU academic staff joined the 8-month national strike and the no-work-pay rule is was invoked”
Prof. Adagbonyin who noted that anyone not on the payroll of the institution cannot lay claim to its staff as alleged in the viral video maintained that AAU has never shown any lack of capacity to pay salaries to its staff.
He added that the University has been meeting its salary obligations to its staff with a “Pay Day” in place that has not exceeded the 27th of every month.
Adagbonyin explained that AAU in 2021 conducted biometric/ staff verification exercise in which many of its staff were found to have falsified their ages and official records, and added that in fear of being caught, abandoned the exercise altogether.
He informed that those who refused to participate in the staff biometric exercise or failed to complete the process have had their names taken off the payroll, saying that “the same applies to those who are facing disciplinary issues”.
According to the Vice Chancellor, “one of the complainants in the trending video is known to have begun his biometric verification but did not complete their exercises.
“Rather than redeem himself through the several opportunities available to him, he abandoned the exercise altogether and has continued to launch campaigns of calumny against the University”, he said.
While advising the people to submit themselves to the biometric exercise like the institution’s ASUU chairman, especially as management of the school would be magnanimous to grant them opportunity to complete their exercises, Prof. Adagbonyin warned that AAU would not be intimidated nor distracted by anyone.
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