Management of the University of Jos has said it is addressing errors made in the payment of earned allowances to members of staff over which the institution’s branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a fresh industrial action.
The branch at a meeting last Friday resolved not to participate in any academic activities until members are paid their earned allowances as presented to the Federal Government and approved, dashing hopes of the resumption of lectures today (Monday) after over six months.
Registrar of the university, Mr. Danjuma Jilly-Dandam said in a statement that earned allowances were paid to all staff in October and December last year but that a few errors were noted in the payment which are “being addressed with dispatch.”
The statement said payment of five months salary arrears arising from the strike to all academic staff had been completed and described the action of the ASUU branch as “detrimental to the continuous academic pursuit of the university.”
“Management wishes to reaffirm that the Academic Calendar approved by Senate of the University of Jos which directed that lectures should commence on Monday January 6, 2014 subsists”, the statement added.
However, the institution’s chapter of ASUU in statement jointly signed by the Chairman, Dr. David Jangkam and Secretary, N. Wannang said members resolved not to participate in academic activities over some internal issues it alleged the management refused to address.
It alleged that the N1.16 billion Naira released by the Federal Government to the university as earned allowances was disbursed arbitrarily without recourse to the initial computation for 2010 to 2012 or the verified computation in 2013.
“Instead the University of Jos administration shared the money as it deemed fit without regard to whether staff earned same entitlement or not, thus resulting in some members getting far less than what they are entitled to and most members getting nothing at all”, the statement said.
Meanwhile, a Senate meeting fixed for tomorrow with the agendum “Urgent Academic Issues” is expected to discuss the issue with a view to averting another long strike by lecturers.
Source: Vanguard