ACADEMIC,
commercial and all forms of official activities have been completely
paralysed on the campus of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU),
Ile-Ife, Osun State, by the local branch of the Non-Academic Staff Union
(NASU) of Educational and Associated Institutions.
The industrial action, Nigerian Tribune gathered, commenced since last Friday, July 3, at the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum given to the management by the union to pay its members 64 months (accumulated) earned allowances.
Since then, NASU had ensured that all offices in the institution remained shut; and on Thursday, July 9, when Nigerian Tribune visited the campus, members of the union had shut all entrances to the institution and converged at the main gate of the university in a noisy, but generally non-violent protest.
Neither campus shuttle buses nor commercial motorcycles were allowed in or out of the campus, while only a very few cars (probably on essential duties) were allowed entry or exit.
Chairman of the union, Mr Wole Odewumi, told Nigerian Tribune that the earned allowances were part of an agreement signed with the Federal Government since 2009.
He said part of these allowances, ‘Responsibility Allowance’, had been paid by management, but described the payment as being ‘selective’, as only few senior staff were entitled to it.
According to him, the OAU management had refused to pay that which affects the majority of the people – ‘hazard allowance’, which he said had accumulated for 64 months.
Odewumi said: “They implemented the one that concerns them, but the one that concerns majority of the workers, they have left unpaid. We held several meetings with them over the matter. Eventually, we gave them an ultimatum which elapsed last Friday.”
Asked if the university authorities had made fresh offers to the union since the strike started, Odewumi confirmed that management held a meeting with the union on Wednesday, but described what was offered as ‘token’, thus unacceptable.
When contacted on the matter, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, said the university had not paid NASU the allowances because the Federal Government had not paid the money and that this was not peculiar to OAU.
“We issued a circular that as soon as the Federal Government pays the second tranche of that money, we will pay everybody accordingly. We are just appealing to them to give peace a chance and go back to their offices. No federal university in this country has paid that money. They should just give us some time,” he pleaded.
On the allegation of ‘selective payment’, Olarewaju said: “I am not aware of any ‘selective payment’. If they are talking about ‘responsibility allowance’, members of NASU who head units were also paid that allowance.
“Responsibility allowance means if you head a unit and you are not given an official car, but use your money or car to run errands for the university, you are paid a stipend of about N6,000 or N8000. It is not selective.”
The industrial action, Nigerian Tribune gathered, commenced since last Friday, July 3, at the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum given to the management by the union to pay its members 64 months (accumulated) earned allowances.
Since then, NASU had ensured that all offices in the institution remained shut; and on Thursday, July 9, when Nigerian Tribune visited the campus, members of the union had shut all entrances to the institution and converged at the main gate of the university in a noisy, but generally non-violent protest.
Neither campus shuttle buses nor commercial motorcycles were allowed in or out of the campus, while only a very few cars (probably on essential duties) were allowed entry or exit.
Chairman of the union, Mr Wole Odewumi, told Nigerian Tribune that the earned allowances were part of an agreement signed with the Federal Government since 2009.
He said part of these allowances, ‘Responsibility Allowance’, had been paid by management, but described the payment as being ‘selective’, as only few senior staff were entitled to it.
According to him, the OAU management had refused to pay that which affects the majority of the people – ‘hazard allowance’, which he said had accumulated for 64 months.
Odewumi said: “They implemented the one that concerns them, but the one that concerns majority of the workers, they have left unpaid. We held several meetings with them over the matter. Eventually, we gave them an ultimatum which elapsed last Friday.”
Asked if the university authorities had made fresh offers to the union since the strike started, Odewumi confirmed that management held a meeting with the union on Wednesday, but described what was offered as ‘token’, thus unacceptable.
When contacted on the matter, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, said the university had not paid NASU the allowances because the Federal Government had not paid the money and that this was not peculiar to OAU.
“We issued a circular that as soon as the Federal Government pays the second tranche of that money, we will pay everybody accordingly. We are just appealing to them to give peace a chance and go back to their offices. No federal university in this country has paid that money. They should just give us some time,” he pleaded.
On the allegation of ‘selective payment’, Olarewaju said: “I am not aware of any ‘selective payment’. If they are talking about ‘responsibility allowance’, members of NASU who head units were also paid that allowance.
“Responsibility allowance means if you head a unit and you are not given an official car, but use your money or car to run errands for the university, you are paid a stipend of about N6,000 or N8000. It is not selective.”
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