Following the release of two months withheld salaries of the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Gombe State University branch, its Congress has resolved to start the processing of 2021/2022 first semester results, as well as supervision of projects.
Disclosing this on Tuesday at a media briefing organised at the conference room of the institution, the branch chairperson, Dr Suleiman Jauro, said its decision was sequel to a congress held by members of the union on Monday.
The union titled its address, ‘Gombe State Government: Address lingering issues in Gombe State University’.
The management of the GSU had implemented the ‘No work, No pay’ policy which was geared towards forcing members to return to work, failure of which August and September salaries were left hanging.
Consequently, the branch had resolved not to process examination results as reported by the Punch newspaper.
Jauro, however, said on Tuesday, “The branch wishes to acknowledge the release of the two months withheld salaries in response to which the congress has resolved to resume processing of the first semester 2021/2022 examination results as well as the supervision of all projects. The branch had last year suspended these two activities following the university’s policy of No work, No pay.”
While lamenting other concerns noted by the congress, which would boost the morale of the university academic staff, the union stressed that welfare of its members had remained unattended to.
Jauro decried the non-increment in the monthly subvention to the university to N250m in order to enable the university seamlessly honour its obligations of payment of salaries and overhead expenses.
The chairperson added, “..promotion of staff has since 2020 become a major luxury in the university to the extent that the arrears promotions covering about 13 months is yet to be paid; the 2021 promotion has not been implemented, while the 2022 promotions, though long overdue remained uncompleted largely due to non-availability of funds.
“Non-payment of the accumulated Earned Academic Allowance in the university for the period covering 2015/2016 session to 2019/2020 session.
“The branch, in view of the above facts, hereby requests the state government to address these issues and recalibrate the morale of staff in the university for more stable industrial atmosphere.”
On his part, the immediate past chairperson of the union, Dr Oladimeji Lawal, called for the implementation of the Memorandum of Action in reducing the EAA, adding that, “So long as the university admits students beyond the actual capacity, so shall we continue to have excess work load. For instance, a lecturer in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is expected to teach a minimum of 30 students but ends up taking 500 students above the minimum. Anything above 30 falls on excess work load.”
