ABSU STAFF SET TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS ON EMPTY STOMACH AFTER MONTHS OF FINANCIAL EMASCULATION
PRESS RELEASE BY THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES, ABIA STATE UNIVERSITY CHAPTER, ASUU-ABSU
Compatriots and Gentleman of the Press.
It is with a very sad heart that I want to bring to public attention, the inhumane treatment meted for several months now on the staff of Abia State University Uturu. Recall that on the 28th of September, 2020, the entire Staff Unions at ABSU embarked on a peaceful protest over several provocative deprivations, not least, the non-payment of six (6) month's salary, April - September, 2020.
The protest was carried out to intimate the public with the financial torture and consequent hunger on ABSU staff orchestrated by the lack of salaries and other financial deprivations. This scenario persisted despite all the efforts of the Union to get the issues peacefully addressed. Some of the peaceful efforts of the Union include:
A. Writing to, and interfacing with the University Management.
B. Writing to, and interfacing with the University Governing Council.
C. Writing to the Governor of Abia State and Visitor to the University intimating him of the financial problems.
D. Writing a follow up letter to the Governor seeking a face to face interaction with ASUU-ABSU leadership since 11th November, 2020. No response from him to date.
E. Writing to, and having an interface with the Education Committee of the Abia State House of Assembly on 7th September, 2020.
F. Lastly, we just wrote to the ALUMNI Body of ABSU to solicit their advocacy in saving the University from a palpable industrial crisis and total collapse.
It may interest you to know that all of these efforts have failed to get our demands resolved.
These ASUU-ABSU unresolved demands are:
Payment of arrears of salaries , JUNE to DECEMBER, 2020.
Payment of unremitted deductions (from our salaries) to the ASUU ABSU Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd., totalling Two Hundred and One Million, Three Hundred and Thirty Eight Thousand, Three Naira (N201, 388,003.00).
Liquidation of the arrears of shortfall in salaries of the FGN/ASUU Agreement; 18 months (JULY, 2009 to DECEMBER, 2010), totalling Nine Hundred and Two Million, One Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira, Eighty Two Kobo (N902,161,550.82).
Domestication and total implementation of the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA).
Rejection and abrogation of the practice of 'notional promotion', amongst others.
The penury and hunger brought upon the Academic and Non-Teaching staff of ABSU by these financial deprivations is worse than a tsunami. We have been pauperized, dehumanized, humiliated, emasculated, and embarrassed as majority of our members now feed off charity and turned beggars. What a callous treatment! With the approach of Christmas, ABSU staff are bracing to the realization of having to do the celebration on an empty stomach. Is this the reward we deserve for our contribution to human capital development?
The general public is hereby invited to lend their voices to ending this cruelty and Man's inhumanity to Man.
Signed:
Victor Nkemdirim, PhD.
Chairperson, ASUU ABSU