By Gabriella Ogbu
The University of Benin (UNIBEN) branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced the immediate withdrawal of its services from the university’s postgraduate program. This decision, made on Sunday, stems from the union’s ongoing efforts to secure payment of unpaid entitlements for postgraduate teaching and supervision.
The unpaid entitlements are linked to the current UNIBEN administration, which is set to conclude its tenure in December 2024. The union emphasized that despite multiple reminders, these payments have remained outstanding.
On Friday, June 14, 2024, the University ASUU Congress convened and resolved to terminate the involvement and participation of all its members in UNIBEN’s postgraduate program. The resolution mandates that all ASUU UNIBEN members immediately cease activities related to postgraduate teaching, supervision, seminars, examinations, and board meetings until all earned honoraria are paid in full.
The union’s demands are specifically tied to work completed under the tenure of the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Lilian Salami. ASUU insists on a clearly defined structure for the administration and remuneration of academic staff involved in the postgraduate program, to prevent such issues in the future.
The lecturers have vowed to continue their strike action across the university’s postgraduate programs until their demands are met. According to an anonymous source within the organization, the union’s national leadership fully supports this stance. The source stressed the critical nature of their demands in the current challenging socioeconomic environment, stating, “No one will defend us if we do not, particularly in this really severe and agonizing socioeconomic environment. The worker is deserving of his pay.”
Efforts to reach the University’s public relations officer, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, were unsuccessful as calls to her cell phone did not go through. However, a source close to the Vice-Chancellor indicated that steps are being taken to resolve all outstanding entitlements of ASUU members involved in the postgraduate program.
The withdrawal of ASUU’s services has significant implications for postgraduate students at UNIBEN. The cessation of teaching, supervision, and other academic activities is expected to disrupt the progress of ongoing research and coursework.
