The Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has voiced frustration over the unresolved issues within the institution, despite the inauguration of the new Governing Council led by Dr. Frank Odafen more than three months ago. Following a congress held on November 1, 2024, the union criticized the council’s handling of ongoing challenges, accusing it of exacerbating rather than resolving the university’s crises.
In a statement signed by Dr. Cyril Onogbosele and Dr. William Odion, the union leaders outlined key unresolved issues. They include unpaid salaries for many staff members, with some waiting for up to 34 months, and the university’s failure to deduct and remit third-party payments, including ASUU dues and staff welfare contributions. The union also condemned the conduct of recent elections of internal Governing Council members, alleging that the elections breached university regulations.
One of the union’s primary grievances is the non-payment of October 2024 salaries, which the university has not yet explained. ASUU described this delay as unjust, calling it “an affront to the dignity of workers’ labour.”
The union expressed discontent over unmet promises made by the Pro-Chancellor to resolve withheld ASUU check-off dues, welfare savings, and other deductions from September 2020 to November 2021. Furthermore, the union criticized the non-compliance of the election of Convocation and Senate Representatives to the Council with the university’s legal standards. ASUU demanded that the four candidates with the highest votes in the October 8 Senate Representative election be sworn in without piecemeal elections, warning that this practice violates university regulations.
The union also rejected the Truth and Reconciliation Panel recently inaugurated by the Governing Council, citing the Council’s failure to respond to critical concerns regarding the panel’s membership and terms of reference. ASUU called the panel’s creation “insensitive, political, and a ploy to delay resolution of the university’s crises.”
In response, ASUU-Ekpoma instructed its members to refrain from engaging with the Truth and Reconciliation Panel until the university administration addresses the union’s grievances.
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