Benin The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Chapter, Ekpoma on Monday, reiterated that the Branchs involvement and participation in the ongoing nationwide strike called by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Union is unshakeable despite the overt desperation of the University Administration to break the ranks of its members so as to truncate the industrial action in the University.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Union branch Chairperson and Secretary, Dr. Monday L. Igbafen and Dr. Anthony Aizebioje-Coker, respectively after a meeting of the Union executive which was made available to newsmen in Benin.
The Union insisted that only the national leadership of the ASUU can suspend the strike meant to reposition and revamp public universities in the country, including AAU, Ekpoma.
They noted that all attempts made by the University Administration, including intimidation of members, threat of sack, threat of seizure of salary, campaign of calumny against the leadership of the branch as well as aggressive media propaganda mounted to deceive the public that lectures had resumed in the University had failed.
Our members are holding on because they believe in their Union and perceive all the actions so far taken by the University Administration to force them back to work as cheap blackmail and outdated antics, they stated.
The Branch however accused the University Administration of promoting insecurity in the University through sponsorship of thuggery among members of the Union to intimidate the Union as demonstrated in the disruption of the Branchs congress meeting of Monday January 28, 2010, in a desperate bid to enthrone tyranny and dictatorship in the administration of the University.
The Branch reaffirmed its resolve and readiness to resist all attempts to install a reign of fear, intimidation, cowardice and loss of academic freedom which the current University Administration has resolved to foist on the University.
The Branch also insisted that the ongoing nationwide strike is in the overall interest of the University AAU Ekpoma, having been a great beneficiary of ASUU struggle.
They further stated, As a matter of fact, in the past four years, AAU, Ekpoma, has received/collected more than N4.2 billion (between 2015 and 2018) from TETFUND for its physical development.
To be specific, the current University Administration under Professor Ignatius Onimawo has received more than N3.4 billion from TETFUND.
In addition, the Vice-Chancellor has been able to engage in over nine (9) projects with funds from the Needs Assessment Intervention Fund.
The Needs Assessment Intervention Fund is a fund made possible by ASUU national struggle.
The public may also wish to further note that our dear University during the period of the current Vice-Chancellor has received more than N1.2 billion from the fund out of which more than N400,000,000.00 was for staff development. We can continue on and on, the statement added.
The Union also added that they have said this little for the public to be informed on the benefits of the ongoing strike and to appreciate the fact that the ongoing strike was not targeted at bringing down the University, pointing out that the current strike is completely a struggle to revitalize public universities through increased funding and better conditions of service.
The Branch therefore appealed to the teeming students of the University and their parents to bear with the Union pending the suspension of the strike by the national leadership of ASUU by remaining at home as lectures and other academic activities cannot commence until the suspension of the strike.
