… threatens legal action
The Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Chapter of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has forwarded a petition to the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Carol Arinze-Umobi, demanding the inclusion of its members in the payment of the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) paid by the Federal Government.
A letter by its counsel, Professor Okechukwu Nwankwo, dated 23rd June, and sent to the Acting Vice-Chancellor and copied to the Bursar of the University and the press in Awka on Wednesday, warned that the leadership of CONUA–UNIZIK would not hesitate to pursue legal redress to ensure that its members are not discriminated against in the payment of EAA to academics of the University.
The letter, instituted on behalf of the Chairman of CONUA UNIZIK Chapter, Professor Chigozie Ezeonyejiaku, and its Secretary, Professor Isaac Nwankwo, stated: “There exist three government-recognised academic associations in Nigerian university institutions, namely: the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Congress of University Academics (CONUA), and National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA). A university lecturer is free to be a member of any of them or none at all.”
The petition further stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria had disbursed Earned Academic Allowances to federal universities, of which UNIZIK received its allocation.
“The EAA is a financial benefit given by the Federal Government without discrimination to all academic staff of Nigerian universities to cushion the adversities and strain of academic workload,” the letter further read.
The union further alleged that the management of UNIZIK, the Vice-Chancellor, and the Bursar, in connivance with the leadership of ASUU, have reached an agreement for only lecturers who are ASUU members to be paid the EAA, to the exclusion of lecturers who are members of CONUA.
“Again, there is a concluded plan between the university management and ASUU to transfer the money to ASUU leadership for ASUU to assume responsibility for the payment of the EAA only to ASUU members of the university, excluding CONUA members,” the union claimed, alleging further that the risk of misappropriating a large part of the EAA is very high under ASUU leadership.
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