ASUU rules out legal action to halt salary shortfall

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Owerri zone has ruled out legal option over the continued shortfalls in salary of members.Speaking recently in Awka, the Owerri zonal coordinator, Ike Odimegwu, represented by the Chairperson, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUAU), Uzochukwu Onyebinama said ASUU would continue to adopt strike option to press home its demand.

“You are aware of how our legal system operates, and if we should take that step, members may wait for a long time. They need their salary to feed their family and address other pressing needs. If we take court action, there is hunger: our members would suffer”, ASUU said.

The union pointed out that strike is equally a legal means, saying, “if we should use it, then we have to.”In a statement signed by the six chairpersons representing the universities in the zone, ASUU resolved to reject any cut, reduction or part payment of salary of their members.

They also unequivocally demanded the immediate release and payment of all outstanding salary short falls and remittance of all authorized deductions in order to avert the impending industrial disharmony in our universities.

ASUU said they took the stand since several appeals to Federal and State governments to redress the salary shortfalls, delays in payment of salaries and non remittance of authorized deductions to staff has failed to yield positive results.

Odimegwu further hinted that the issues of shortfall in salary among others have the capacity to truncate the smooth running of academic programmes in the universities if not immediately addressed.

Giving some details, he said at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, “The shortfall increased from 5 per cent in 2015 to over 13 per cent in 2016, and in January 2017 it was N88 million, while by February it rose to N170 million.

“In Federal University of Technology, Owerri, the shortfall rose from 10 per cent in 2015 to over 19 per cent in 2016, and amounting to over N1 billion. In January 2017, it was over 15.5 per cent, which amounted to over N82 million, and by February it increased to 29.5 per cent amounting to over Ni57 million.

“The situation is not different in Imo state university, where the December 2016 salary was paid by the end of January, while the January 2017 salary was paid first week of March. It is same in MOUAU and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu universities”.