Blame Governor Obaseki For Crisis In Edo University – ASUU

By Ayodele Oni

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma Branch, in Edo state has said Governor Godwin Obaseki should be held responsible for the lingering crises in the university.

It also accused government for its failure to genuinely reposition the university.

The University’s chapter of ASUU, in a statement signed by its Chairperson and Assistant Secretary, Dr. Cyril Onogbosele and Dr. William Odion, respectively insisted that the crises in the university were aggravated by the undue replacement of the university’s Governing Council with the Special Intervention Team (SIT) in May 2021 by the Visitor to the University, Governor Godwin Obaseki, despite its opposition by well-meaning primary stakeholders of the university.

The Union reiterated that SIT’s tenure was characterized by breach of the university’s autonomy, arbitrariness, usurpation of the powers/functions of the Senate and principal officers of the university, intimidation and victimization of staff and students.

The tenure also witnessed undue retirement/termination of the appointments of some staff, administrative lapses, impunities and the presentation of false reports on the university and its staff to Edo State Government.

The Union enumerated  the unresolved problems bedeviling the university to include erosion of the University’s autonomy; lack of funding of the university/stoppage or reduction of subvention to the University by Edo State Government.

Others are defective administrative structure in the university caused by lack of substantive Principal Officers (Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Bursar, Librarian and Provost) in the university for the past three years; arbitral removal/replacement of elected Deans of faculties; the problem of non-payment of salaries/allowances of many staff up to thirty (30) months.

The union also complained of  non-implementation of the award of 25/35 percent wage award to academic staff in public universities in Nigeria by government.

Other problems listed include: stoppage of third-party deductions (ASUU dues, staff welfare savings, etc.) and non-remittance of deducted ASUU dues (September 2020 – November 2021) by the University Administration.

They include delayed staff appraisal, promotion exercise and reintroduction of  notional promotion of staff (promotion without financial benefits) which was stopped a long time ago during the tenure of the Governing Council chaired by Prof. Eugene Okpere.