The management of Abia State University, Uturu(ABSU) has vehemently denied owing a group of lecturers 12 months salary arrears, saying that it was “mischievous, malicious and misleading” claim.
A group of lecturers employed in 2023 by the past ABSU management has been lamenting the refusal of the current administration to pay their 12 months salary arrears despite various interventions.
But in statement signed by the Registrar, Dr Acho Elendu, the University management disputed the claim, saying that it was not only “untrue (but) a calculated attempt to blackmail the University Management and the State Government”.
He said that “the agitators” of unpaid salaries were those “given temporary appointments in 2023 by the previous administration (but) were disengaged over a year ago, due to irregularities in their appointments”.
Elendu noted that since May 29, 2023 Alex Otti assumed office as the fifth elected Abia Governor and the Visitor to ABSU, he “has ensured prompt and regular payment of salaries of verified staff of the University”.
He acknowleged that at the inception of the Otti administration, ABSU was owing its entire staff 11 months salary arrears accumulated by the past administration.
However, the ABSU Registrar stated that Otti “in his characteristic magnanimity and uncommon passion for education” had approved payment of the inherited 11 months arrears of salaries, adding that “10 months of the arrears have so far been paid”.
He hinted that the fate of the disengaged lecturers would be reconsidered in the ongoing recruitment exercise Governor Otti approved for ABSU.
According to Elendu, ABSU management has already “promised that as many of them that applied and qualified, will be considered alongside others” and would be absorbed into the workforce of the state-owned tertiary institution.
Meanwhile, government has joined the fray with the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, saying that it was wrong and ridiculous for the lecturers to go the media and “lie that they are being owed”.
Speaking on a radio programme, ‘Open Parlaiment’, Ekeoma argued that the agitating lecturers have no basis for claiming that ABSU is owing them when they were not authentic members of staff as their employment was fraught with irregularities.
He stated that the concerned lecturers were employed by the immediate past Abia government for political and sectional considerations, without following due process.
“A University is not a community association. You don’t employ people based on sectional interests,” Ekeoma said.
