Sophia Michaels
The academic and non-academic staff unions of Abia State University, ABSU, have embarked on a strike over the non-payment of their outstanding 11-month salary arrears by the state government.
The workers had, through their various union leaders, given the management of the institution December 31 as a deadline to pay off the salary arrears or face industrial action.
The Nation reports that the students of the institution have not yet resumed studies after the Christmas and New Year holidays due to the ongoing industrial actiion.
The ASUU Chairman in ABSU, Chidi Mbah, confirmed to the Nation that the industrial action was due to the 11 months salary arrears owed to members of the union.
“We are on strike based on numerous issues, especially because of the unpaid 11 months salary arrears.
“It cuts across 2011, 2012, and 2022. Although since the incumbent government has come to power, they have been up and doing; they have been releasing subventions for the university to augment.
“However, we know that the subvention isn’t enough because the wage bill is about ₦320m while the state government releases ₦100m per month which was what he inherited from his predecessor.
“But since he (Otti) came onboard, he has been releasing that money regularly but we have a deficit of ₦220m.
“Since the assumption of the new government, we have not been owed salaries per se, although the December salary was paid some two weeks ago; some have received, while others are yet to receive theirs.
“Government is a continuum, we have already written both the state government and the management since September 26.
“We told them that we would down tools if nothing was done till December 31. That was why we now embarked on the strike.”
