Ekiti Varsity Workers Down Tools Over Unpaid Salaries

Workers at the Ekiti State University (EKSU), including teaching and non-teaching staff, yesterday stayed off work in protest against the non-payment of their one-month salary and six-month arrears of subventions....




Yesterday’s development, which halted both academic and administrative activities at the institution, also saw the angry workers preventing vehicular and human movement in and out of the institution as the main gate was under lock and key.

Various unions, including the National Association of Area Technologists (NAT), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASAU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSUU), among others, expressed outrage at what they called the nonchalant attitude of government towards meeting critical financial obligations to the institution.

They said all was not financially well with the institution as the management had only been able to pay only 20 percent of the staff salary arrears since March this year, which according to the unions, was contrary to government’s opinion that the institution’s investment in some ventures to bolster its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), had made it capable of paying salaries and other benefits.

They maintained that the management had failed to live up to its responsibilities due to the failure of the state government to pay subventions since January this year