The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Benin (UNIBEN) Branch, has expressed concerns over the university's attempt to request its members to receive part-payment of their salaries. In a statement, the Union's Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Enaruna Edosa and Lucky Aimiyekagbon, respectively, warned members against accepting the University's offer, describing it as "provocative, divisive and mischievous".
The university's management had issued a memo requesting members willing to receive their September 2026 salary to approach the Salaries and Wages Division of the Bursary Department. However, the ASUU leadership argued that this move was calculated to intimidate and coerce members into accepting the balkanization and fractionalization of their duly earned emoluments.
The Union emphasized that approaching the Bursary Department to indicate a willingness to accept partial payment amounts to personally signing onto enslavement and poverty. They also noted that the statement that salary is personal to each staff is wrongly contextualized and therefore false and misleading, as the salaries of ASUU members are a product of collective bargaining.
The ASUU leadership stressed that the university's action is a gross and blatant violation of the ILO Convention No. 98 (Article 2), which bars employers' interference in the administration and operation of trade unions. They accused the university administration of attempting to weaken the Union's collective bargaining power by bypassing the Union to strike individual deals with members.
The Union also highlighted that most federal universities, including Bayero University Kano, University of Ilorin, and University of Lagos, have paid September 2026 emoluments in full. They expressed concern that UNIBEN is not following suit, and therefore, urged members to stay away from the Bursary Department.
The ASUU leadership directed all members to resist falling into the trap of the University of Benin Administration to subject them to perpetual servitude. They assured members that they will get their full emoluments duly when they stand together, adding that "United we stand, divided we beg!"
The Union's statement concluded with a warning to members against submitting to the humiliation of going to the Bursary to sign to collect a fraction of their emoluments after doing a full month's work. They emphasized that it is an insult to personal dignity, humanity, and integrity.
Key points
- - The UNIBEN ASUU has warned members against accepting piecemeal salary payments. - The university's management had requested members to approach the Bursary Department to receive part-payment of their salaries. - The Union views this move as a violation of the ILO Convention No. 98 and an attempt to weaken its collective bargaining power.
