Protest rocks UI over salary delay

ACADEMIC and administrative activities were yesterday paralyzed at the University of Ibadan (UI) as the non-teaching staff unions of the institution protested against a shortfall in their salaries and unpaid arrears of allowances.

The workers include Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Union of Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

The university gate was shut to students and workers creating traffic gridlock in the area. Besides, the internal transport system was prevented from functioning forcing lecturers and newly admitted students to trek to their destinations.

The protesters were led by Messrs Segun Arojo and Wale Akinremi for NASU and SSANU respectively.

Speaking to reporters on the development, SSANU Chairman ‎ said the protest was not only against delayed payment of salaries but the non-democratic nature of the university administration over the state of things on campus.

Akinremi alleged that the university administration had met with unions and agreed to some terms, which were not met.

As representatives of the people, Akinremi said all unions in the institution must be carried along in issues affecting their welfare and urged the federal government to increase allocation to the premier university so as not to plunge it into crisis.

UI is to resume formally next week but postgraduate examination is still ongoing in some departments.

The aggrieved workers are protesting non-payment of their arrears and non-remittance of deductions to their cooperative societies and unions since December 2015 by the University authorities.

But The Guardian gathered that since November 2015, the university has been receiving a shortfall from the Federal government.

The source said while the wage bill of the university stands at N932million per month, it received N632m in December and N782m in January with a shortfall of about N500million, which made remittance of deductions to unions, and payment of arrears of allowances impossible.

In his reaction, the Director of Communication Olatunji Oladejo described the development as unfortunate.

Oladejo explained that for sometime now, the university has been receiving shortfall in personnel cost from the Federal Government, which has been affecting the deductions.
He said the Vice chancellor Prof Idowu Olayinka has scheduled an urgent meeting with the unions on the way out of the logjam.