Akwa Ibom Varsity ASUU rejects November Salary plan, threatens resumption of strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Akwa Ibom State University chapter, Ikot Akpaden, Mkpat Enin local government area, has rejected the November Salary plan by the state government and threatened to resume its suspended strike.

It was gathered that the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Nse Essien in a memo with reference number AKSU/Reg/S/vol.111/694, issued through the institution’s registrar, Mrs Ebi Eno-Ibanga told staff members that the November 2021 salary would be paid within two days to Christmas without the backlog of arrears as expected.

The VC, however, apologised for the delay in the payment of November salary 2021, adding that it was not a violation of the state government’s agreement with the unions.

It could be recalled that the “state government had agreed with the Union before the suspension of the strike in June, that in November 2021, it will pay the staff of the State University the last tranche of the 25% of 2020 for the remaining two months along with 100% of November 2021 salary and that in December 2021, it shall pay 25% arrears for the months of March and April 2021 along with 100% of December 2021 salary among others.

But in a statement on Wednesday, the Institution’s ASUU described the content of the VC’s appeal as a clear violation of the agreement which it entered with the state government on the 8th of June 2021.

The statement signed by the AKSU-ASUU chairperson of the University, Inyang Udosen and Secretary, Joseph Mark, rejected the proposed payment plan and threatened to resume the suspended strike if the University goes ahead with the payment plan.

The statement reads in part” ASUU- AKSU categorically wishes to state that the content of the above-quoted memo, if implemented, will constitute a clear violation of the agreement freely and willingly entered into by the government of Akwa Ibom state, the Akwa Ibom State University Management and JAC of all unions in the University and witnessed by the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly on the 8th of June,2021.

“ASUU-AKSU, therefore, reject in its entirety the proposed payment plan for November 2021 as stated in the memo and thus categorically state that AKSU- AKSU shall be left with no option than to immediately revisit the suspended strike in the event that the University Management goes ahead with the proposed payment plan”.

“Except the impasse is resolved within the next 48 hours, staffers of AKSU will have to celebrate this year’s Christmas without November and December salaries.”