PeakNews Online
In a swift response to recent student protests over inadequate electricity and water supply, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has announced a boycott of all academic activities related to postgraduate programmes.
This development, PeakNews Online reports, follows allegations of unpaid entitlements totaling N109 million.
In a statement signed by ASUU UNIBEN Chairman Ray N. Chikogu and Secretary Success O. Abusomwan, the union cited the non-payment of 20% accruals from postgraduate tuition fees, which are intended for administrative expenses and honoraria for teaching and supervision during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic sessions. According to the statement, the university administration has only disbursed N50 million of the total debt.
Chikogu explained that the decision to halt involvement in postgraduate activities was sanctioned by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union. He stated, “On Friday, June 14, 2024, the congress of our branch, after nearly five years of dialogue with the current administration of the University of Benin on the payment of honoraria for postgraduate teaching and supervision, resolved and directed the withdrawal of members of the union from any form of involvement or engagement in the postgraduate program of the University of Benin, with the approval and backing of the National Executive Council (NEC) of our Union.”
The union expressed its frustration with the university administration’s prioritization of debt payments to contractors over the payment of entitlements owed to academic staff. “The Union wishes to restate its displeasure that while the University Administration paid debts in billions owed by previous administrations to contractors, it flatly decided not to do the same for debts owed colleagues by previous administrations for postgraduate teaching and supervision,” Chikogu said.
ASUU UNIBEN’s resolution to withdraw from postgraduate programs will remain in force until all outstanding honoraria for teaching, supervision, and internal examinations are fully paid. Furthermore, the union is calling for the establishment of a clearly defined structure for the administration and remuneration of postgraduate programs to prevent future disruptions.
“As it stands, the conditions precedent for the suspension of our withdrawal from the postgraduate program are far from being met, as only about less than a third of the obligation of the University Administration to our members has been fulfilled,” Chikogu noted. Consequently, the union’s directive prohibits any participation in postgraduate teaching, supervision, seminars, examinations, and board meetings.
The impact of this boycott on UNIBEN’s postgraduate programs remains to be seen as the university administration and ASUU continue to negotiate a resolution to the ongoing dispute.
