Stop playing politics with
ABSU Staff Salary, welfare-ASUU
tells Otti

Titus Maduako Eleweke

Even when the Abians believed there is a restored hope in the state ,the government under the leadership of Dr Alex Otti is still treating the only state university with high level of levity and thoughtlessness.
Most of the people working with Abia State government today are products of Abia State University Uturu ABSU,yet they are treating the intellectual engine room of state with ulmost disrespect and dishonour.
Regrettably, Ndi Abia thought that with the assumption of Otti into the helm of affairs in the state ,he would pritiotize on human capital development and give attention to the university for greater productive,but the difference is the case.
Following Otti's failure to accord serious attention to Abia State University Uturu ABSU ,the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, ABSU Chapter has urged governor to stop playing politics with salary, health and welfare of staff of the insitution.
In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of ASUU- ABSU Dr. Chidi S. Mbah and Dr. Victor U. Obisike respectively, the intellectuals warned the government officials to refrain from politicizing the issue of salary payments in ABSU as people's health, families' needs and other critical issues like workers productivity are dependent on it.
ASUU- ABSU stated that since the government acknowledged the financial hardships faced by the university staff, it should take immediate action to ensure that all outstanding salaries, including the arrears, are paid promptly and in full.
The university academics seek transparency and accountability from the government in handling the salary issue and a swift resolution to alleviate the financial distress faced by the staff of ABSU.
The statement reads:
"Following the recent statement from the government of Abia State that all Abia State University (ABSU) staff have received their April and May salaries, we, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, ABSU Chapter wishes to clarify and state the actual situation regarding salary payments in the University.
Contrary to government's announcement and news circulating in the social media, the reality is starkly different. It is only a handful of staff who have their salary accounts with commercial banks that have received their April salary and fewer have received their May salary. Very alarming are instances where the few staff who received their May salary did not receive their April salary in the same bank.
Painfully, some of the staff who received either April or May salary had unexplained deductions ranging between eight ( to Fifty Three (53) Thousand Naira made on the paid one month salary at source.
Moreover, NONE of the majority of the staff whose salaries account are domiciled with the ABSU Microfinance bank and teaching staff of Abia State University Teaching Hospital have received any payments for either April or May and this has caused significant financial strain, panic and uncertainty among the staff.
With this staggered payment system, the Unions in the university cannot ascertain the status of their Check off dues which is usually deducted at the source of payment.
Furthermore, it is important to highlight that our 11months outstanding salary arrears, remain unpaid. Despite repeated assurances, not a single month of these arrears has been settled.
We urge the government officials to refrain from politicizing the issue of salary payments in ABSU as people's health, families' needs and other critical issues like workers productivity are dependent on it.
It is imperative that the government acknowledges the financial hardships faced by the university staff and takes immediate action to ensure that all outstanding salaries, including the arrears, are paid promptly and in full.
We seek transparency and accountability from the government in handling this matter and hope for a swift resolution to alleviate the financial distress faced by the staff of ABSU.
We want to use this opportunity to appeal to our dear Governor and Visitor to our University, His Excellency, Dr Alex Chioma Oti, OFR who means well for the only state owned University, and has left a standing instruction to pay all workers of the state government not later than 28th of every month, to quickly look into this issue by calling the attention of the concerned officials, so as not to truncate his good intentions for the state workforce"