Barely 24 hours after students at the University of Benin’s (UNIBEN) Ugbowo campus protested due to lack of electricity and water shortages, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the institution have halted all academic activities in the postgraduate programs. The union’s actions are in response to the alleged non-payment of entitlements amounting to N109 million.
In a statement signed by UNIBEN’s ASUU chairman, Ray N. Chikogu, and its secretary, Success O. Abusomwan, it was revealed that the withheld amount represents 20% of the tuition fee component allocated for administrative expenses and honoraria for teaching and supervision during the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 postgraduate academic sessions. The university administration has only released N50 million out of the total debt.
Chikogu explained that the decision to withdraw from postgraduate activities was sanctioned by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union. He stated, “On Friday, June 14, 2024, the congress of our branch, after close to five years of dialogue with the current administration of the University of Benin on the payment of honoraria for postgraduate teaching and supervision, resolved and directed the withdrawal of members of the union from any form of involvement or engagement in the postgraduate program of the University of Benin, with the approval and backing of the National Executive Council, NEC, of our Union.”
The union expressed displeasure that while the university administration had paid billions of naira owed by previous administrations to contractors, it had neglected to settle debts owed to academic staff for postgraduate teaching and supervision. The statement noted, “The attempt to further deny our members their hard-earned entitlements for the 2019/2020 session is unfair, uncharitable, and diametrically at variance with the emphatic assurances given to our Union by the current University Administration.”
ASUU’s resolution includes withdrawing from all forms of postgraduate engagement until all outstanding honoraria are fully paid and a clear structure for managing postgraduate programs and remunerating academic staff is negotiated and agreed upon. Chikogu emphasized that the conditions for suspending the withdrawal have not been met, with less than a third of the obligations fulfilled by the university administration.
The union’s stance means there will be no participation in postgraduate teaching, supervision, seminars, examinations, or board meetings. Chikogu commended union members for their solidarity and resilience, noting that some progress had been made. He also warned that the ongoing withdrawal would continue until the university meets the union’s demands.
The university administration has yet to respond to the latest developments or provide a timeline for addressing the union’s grievances. The ongoing impasse threatens to disrupt the academic progress of postgraduate students, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the institution.
