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Disquiet In OAU Over 64-month Unpaid Allowance by youngsahito(m): 4:24pm On Jul 20, 2015 |
Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union
of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife,
Osun State chapter, are at loggerheads
with the authorities of the institution over
unpaid allowance, writes GBENGA ADENIJI
Authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo
University are leaving no stone unturned in
their bid to calm the frayed nerves of
members of the institution’s Non-
Academic Staff Union.
The workers, who expressed their
grievance with a warning strike, alleged
that the institution owed them hazard
allowance for 64 months.
When the aggrieved workers started the
protest against the non-payment of their
hazard allowance, they shut the gate
leading to the school, the senate building
including the library. The situation made
many of the students, members of staff
and visitors to trek long distances.
The Chairman of the NASU, OAU chapter,
Mr. Wole Odewunmi, stated that if the
authorities of the institution did not accede
to their demands, members of the union
would be left with no option than to
embark on a total strike.
He added that the union notified the
management before it started the protest.
Describing the union as peace-loving,
Odewunmi added that it could no longer
fold its arms but to let the public know
about its plight.
He said, “For the past 64 months, we are
owed hazard allowance and we have had
several meetings that yielded no results.
The two parties — government and
management—keep blaming each other.
The school management are saying that
they have not received any money but
those at the top positions are already
enjoying the allowance but the authorities
tagged it responsibility allowance. How
can they pay certain people and leave the
rest of the workers?”
The situation, however, took a new twist
when the management of the institution
last Sunday after its emergency senate
meeting asked students to vacate the
university.
Though the break was termed ‘mid-
semester break,’ the leadership of the
varsity’s Students’ Union linked it to the
protest by the aggrieved workers.
The President of the Students’ Union, Mr.
Omotayo Akande, stated that the students
had earlier boycotted lectures for one
week in solidarity with the aggrieved
workers.
In a statement titled “On the incongruous
‘mid-semester break’ on OAU campus,”
which Akande signed alongside the union’s
Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel
Ojedokun, the union said every studious
student would pray for a stable academic
calendar.
The statement noted that an environment
conducive to learning was not negotiable
hence underscored the importance of
members of NASU.
It added, ‘‘NASU OAU workers embarked
on a strike on Friday, July 3, 2015. The
industrial action led to the closure of the
school gate to express their grievance
against the non-payment of their hazard
allowance. Conventionally, when NASU
goes on strike, it will cut electric power
supply, water and curtail vehicular
movements. We decided to support NASU
in order to reduce the effect of the protest
on students since we are always at the
receiving end of every NASU or ASUU
strike either with the management or the
Federal Government.’’
Akande said the student body called an
emergency meeting with the management
to compel the university to resolve the
NASU crisis, work out modalities for stable
light, water and movement in and out of
the campus and reiterate its demand for a
stable academic calendar.
He stated, ‘‘The unorthodox and alien mid-
semester break declared by the
management is very ludicrous, not holistic
and incongruous. The cause of the matter
that made the management to take such a
decision was not addressed. Our students
either way would suffer an unwanted
extension of the academic calendar, law
students postings end shortly and their
results have not been approved. The
National Youth Service Corps mobilisation
for the institution’s graduates may be
delayed. The possibility of NASU to
continue the strike even after the closure
if the non-payment of the allowance is not
addressed makes the decision of a break
inappropriate.’’
The student body urged the visitor to the
school, President Muhammadu Buhari, to
intervene by providing funds to pay the
allowance of the workers in the interest of
the students.
According to Akande, the closure is
needless and will not address the problem.
He said, ‘‘We demand immediate
negotiation with NASU and to ensure all
possible means to end the strike. We
implore that the NEED Assessment Fund
must not be tampered with. We demand
the immediate disbursement of the fund
for the construction of hostels and other
purpose it is meant for. Also, we demand
for the immediate re-opening of school
and a two-week extension of the academic
calendar as a result of the week-long
strike to avert any pressure on the
students.’’
While calling on the aggrieved workers to
make peace, he urged them to remember
that their salaries and that of their
principal officers would continue with the
strike staling academic session.
On Wednesday, the leadership of the
NASU, OAU chapter, made fresh demands
from the authorities of the varsity before
its members could return to their duties.
Members of the union after an emergency
congress held in the school asked the
university authorities to start the
implementation of the 64-month hazard
allowance owed them.
Among other demands, the union also
asked for the payment of at least 20
months of the outstanding arrears this
month.
He stated, ‘‘We want the university
management to start the implementation
of the hazard allowance this month.
Besides, it should pay at least 20 months
out of the outstanding arrears it owed our
members. Failure to do this will leave us
with no option than to ask our members to
withdraw their services from the
university. For now, we still render our
services and converge on the sports
complex of the university to hold
meetings.’’
SUNDAY PUNCH also gathered that the
leadership of the union and
representatives of the university met at
the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade
Sijuwade, with a view to resolving the
matter.
The Public Relations Officer of the
institution, Mr. Biodun Olarewaju,
however, explained that the university did
not declare a closure but a ‘mid-semester
break.’
He also said the break was not connected
to the protest by the NASU members,
adding that the university authorities
declared a break to allow the students
have some rest.
Olanrewaju also denied that the
management paid other workers hazard
allowance under the guise of responsibility
allowance.
He said, ‘‘The institution does not owe the
workers. It is the Federal Government that
owes them. The responsibility allowance is
for any worker in the school who is given
an additional responsibility to carry out on
behalf of the institution. Since the person
uses his or her own money to buy fuel for
his or her car even without an official car,
the management gives a token at the end
of the month for the expenses the person
incurs. Some members of the union have
received such money too.’’
Olanrewaju also said he was not aware of
any meeting between the union members
and delegates of the varsity held at the
palace of the Ooni of Ife.
He added, ‘‘I do not have any information
that the Ooni of Ife met with
representatives of the institution and the
leadership of the union. But as a father of
all, it is good if the Ooni of Ife intervenes
to end the matter. We have done what we
should do as a university. We got some
officers of the Nigeria Police Force to
dismantle all the areas barricaded by the
workers so as to allow the free flow of
traffic.’’
On when the protest may likely end,
Olanrewaju said he could not say but
noted that ‘‘Whatever has a beginning
must have an end.’’ |
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