By Polok Charles
Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU, and management of the University of Jos have continued to trade blames on the lingering industrial action that has paralyzed academic activities in the institution.
This followed the declaration of a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action by the union.
While the lecturers accuse management of insensitivity to their welfare, the management blames them for not showing understanding of the challenges causing the delay in meeting some of their demands.
The UNIJOS ASUU branch said the strike has the backing of the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU to press home its demands.
In a letter jointly signed by the union’s branch Chairperson and Secretary Drs. Christopher Piwuna and L. L. Maigoro respectively, addressed to the vice-chancellor and copied to all principal officers of the university, the union stated that all formal activities are suspended until all issues in contention are resolved.
“This implies that all formal academic activities including teaching, supervision, examination and all statutory and ad-hoc committee meetings are suspended forthwith until all the issues in contention are resolved”, part of the letter reads.
Registrar of the institution Barr. Jilli Dandam in a swift reaction issued a press statement which subtly indicted the union for reporting management of the university to its national headquarters on the allegations that 681 members of ASUU were being owed Earned Academic Allowance and for the non-payment of post-graduate supervision allowance from 2004 to 2009 and 2013 to 2014.
The registrar noted that the issue of payment of academic allowance has enjoyed serious attention from management with the setting up of a technical committee headed by a former ASUU chairman to resolve the lingering issues. He disclosed that the report of the committee has been approved for implementation.
“Council directed the implementation of the report, believing that it will put to rest the issue of disbursement of Earned Academic Allowance”, the statement read.
The registrar went on to dismiss the insinuation from the union that 681 members of ASUU were been owed, stating that “there was no such list in the Council Committee chaired by the former chairman of ASUU”.
He indicated that efforts to make ASUU submit the names generated by it for verification and reconciliation was resisted on the false claims that the list was already contained in the council committee’s report.
On the alleged non-payment of post-graduate supervision allowance, the registrar said “management drew the attention of ASUU EXCO that the matter was being processed as the claims were been forwarded in batches to the bursar for payment”.
Giving details on the payment of the said allowance, the registrar disclosed that as at the time management met with ASUU executives, nine staff had received payment adding, “as at September 15th when the Federal Government directive on Treasury Single Account (TSA) became effective, an additional 50 out of 150 staff had been paid while 68 have been processed and ready for payment.”
He called on ASUU to show some understanding with management on the lack of access to funds other than salaries by all federal universities and federal ministries as a result of the implementation of TSA by the Federal government.
He gave the assurance that management had been making frantic effort to dialogue and resolve all the issues presented by ASUU.
The university’s ASUU Chairman, Dr. Christopher Piwuna had at a press conference accused the management of the university for gross misappropriation of funds and for playing pranks with the welfare of staff which has continued to cause industrial tussle between management and staff of the university.
