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| ASUU Halts Services at UNIBEN |
Just 24 hours after students at the University of Benin's Ugbowo campus protested due to electricity and water shortages, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the institution has suspended all academic activities for postgraduate programs.
According to DAILY POST, the union has ceased providing academic services to postgraduate students over alleged unpaid entitlements totaling N109 million.
A statement from ASUU's UNIBEN chairman, Ray N. Chikogu, and secretary, Success O. Abusomwan, indicated that the amount represents 20% of the tuition fee component from the total fees and charges generated by the postgraduate program.
Chikogu explained that the 20% covers administrative expenses for departments and honoraria for teaching and supervision during the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 academic sessions. He noted that the university administration has only released N50 million of the total debt.
The decision to withdraw from the postgraduate program was approved by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union.
Chikogu stated: “On Friday, June 14, 2024, our branch congress, after nearly five years of dialogue with the current administration of the University of Benin regarding the payment of honoraria for postgraduate teaching and supervision, resolved to withdraw our members from any involvement in the postgraduate program, with the approval and backing of the NEC.
The union expressed its displeasure that while the university administration has paid billions in debts owed by previous administrations to contractors, it has not done the same for debts owed to colleagues for postgraduate teaching and supervision.
“It is against this backdrop that the union notes, with sadness, that the attempt to further deny our members their hard-earned entitlements for the 2019/2020 session is unfair, uncharitable, and contrary to the assurances given to our union by the current university administration.
“We resolved, with NEC's approval, to withdraw our involvement in the postgraduate program until all earned honoraria for postgraduate teaching, supervision, and internal examination owed during the current administration's tenure are fully paid.
Furthermore, a clearly defined structure for the administration of the postgraduate program and remuneration of academic staff must be negotiated and agreed upon between the university administration and ASUU UNIBEN to prevent future interruptions due to unpaid entitlements.
“As it stands, the conditions for suspending our withdrawal from the postgraduate program have not been met, as less than a third of the university administration's obligation to our members has been fulfilled.
“The implication is that our resolution to stay off the postgraduate program at the University of Benin remains in force. There should be no participation in postgraduate teaching, supervision, seminars, examinations, or board meetings,” he said.
He commended union members for their unity and steadfastness, noting that progress has been made.
