The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi (MOAUM, formerly BSU) has declared a ‘total, indefinite strike action over backlog of unpaid entitlements.
The decision for the industrial action was reached after years of sustained engagement with the university administration, the Governing Council and the Benue State Government on critical welfare and governance issues affecting staff and the university.
The Chairperson of ASUU-BSU, Comrade, Dr Alia Sule Ako and Secretary, Comrade Prof. Daniel N. Chile, in a statement said ASUU-BSU zone made several efforts aimed at amicable resolution of the impasse but all efforts hit the rocks.
The Union’s leadership noted that despite the efforts, the state government, the university administration and relevant authorities failed to engage them through a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or Memorandum of Action (MoA) containing clear commitments and implementation timelines.
They listed key issues that led to the grounding of academic activities at the institution to include: non-payment of pension and gratuity to deserving staff most of whom have died without receiving their entitlements, absence of an effective health insurance scheme, irregular pension remittances, non-payment of promotion arrears which has piled up since 2018 as well as the outstanding 25%/35% wage award arrears which staff have been owed 22 months.
Other issues that necessitated the strike action include: incomplete 03 Salaries (CATA) agreement, unresolved taxation issues and the rejection of the Senate-Nominated Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) among other issues.
They maintained that instead of the university administration to address those issues to have a seamless academic calendar, it resorted to isolated and uncoordinated payments without any negotiated framework.
The ASUU-BSU therefore stated lucidly that they cannot alloy the integrity of the institution and it’s future to continue to be subjected to endless promises and unfulfilled commitments, hence the commencent of what they called an “indefinite, total and comprehensive strike action which shall remIn in force until substantial progress is made and binding agreements are reached on the issues in dispute”.
The Union leaders therefore admonished the state government, the university administration, the Governing Council, students, parents, alumni and all stakeholders to appreciate the circumstances that have necessitated the action and support efforts towards a lasting resolution.
