National Coordinator of Congress of University Academics, CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu has berated Academic Staff Union of Universities at the Obafemi Awolowo University over threat of strike on the issue of earned allowance.
OAU ASUU had on Tuesday threatened to embatk on industrial action over the institution’s management refusal to pay its members it due earned allowance after the money was released by the Federal Government.
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However, Sunmonu said the refusal of ASUU members to subject their claims to verification as practised previously need explanation, adding that CONUA is insisting that verification must be done to ascertain claims submitted by lecturers.
According to him, while the first tranche of the money was to be paid, both ASUU and CONUA agreed on the need for verification by the National Universities Commission, NUC, but now they are trying to avoid the same exercise because the university is to conduct the verification.
“It is quite funny changing the rule of the game in the middle of the game. This was part of the questions that we post to the University management during our meeting with them that what has changed with verification.
“The Vice Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede told us that the verification would have to be done here because things have changed. Please verify from our friends on the other side why they are afraid of verification if they had nothing to hide.
Meanwhile, the school management, in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju said the University is not holding the money but it is yet to be paid due to disagreement between members of the academic Staff.
“The Management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, is not holding on to the money in any way and we are ready to give every eligible member their entitlement.
“In any case, the University Management has paid the non teaching Unions but because there is a disagreement between the members of the academic staff which the University Management wants them to resolve and come up with a common position. And when that is done, the University Management will release the money and give every eligible academic staff their due”, the statement reads.
