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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma chapter, yesterday, raised the alarm over what it termed selective justice in the alleged certificate and academic transcripts racketeering in the institution.
The chairperson of ASUU-AAU, Ekpoma, Dr. Cyril Oziegbe Onogbosele, made the allegation while addressing Journalists in Benin in a paper titled “SIT’s Interim and Progress Reports on Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma: The Truth and the Misinformation”.
Daily Sun reported that the institution through the Special Intervention Team (SIT), said “The Institution discovered over 30 cases of AAU students living abroad for not less than two years, writing exams and graduating.
“The staff members and Heads of Departments involved have been handed over to DSS and ICPC for action”.
But while reacting to the allegation, Onogbosele said the union observed selective justice in the trial and punishment meted out to some of the staff and that it seems that there are sacred cows and “no-go areas” in the handling of disciplinary cases on the matter.
Onogbosele said that the claim that the staff of the institution evaded tax to the tune of N2 billion was false and that if it were true, one would have thought that the names of those culpable should have been published and the offenders prosecuted and punished.
He said the false information on payment of tax in the University is an attestation of the degree of desperation by SIT, particularly Mr Austin Osakue, to remain in the University to continue to direct arbitrary administration of the University and pocket sitting allowances from the meagre financial resources of the University.
He alleged also that ASUU-AAU is aware that some academic staff (members of the Union) who retired at the statutory age of 70 years, have been refused disengagement from the University as the University Administration deliberately refused to respond to their letters of notification of retirement.
He said worse still, some of the victims of denial of retirement are being owed several months of salary by the University Administration.
He however called on the Visitor (governor) to the institution to investigate the misinformation and propaganda being peddled by SIT to determine the true state of the crisis rocking the university.
Besides, Onogbosele called on the state government as a matter of urgency to implement the decisions reached at the stakeholders meeting on the crisis in the university held on 16th March 2023 in order to genuinely resolve the crisis rocking the university.
He also appealed that the annual increments of staff salaries stopped by the University Administration should be restored.
The ASUU Chairman further implored the Visitor to the University to as a matter of urgency, constitute a governing council for the University to enable the University to function properly.
