OAU lecturers commence indefinite strike over unpaid allowances

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Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) have commenced an indefinite strike.

The striking lecturers declared the industrial action said to be total and comprehensive over the non-disbursement of Earned Academic Allowance to (EAA) their colleagues.

The ASUU Chairman at OAU branch, Dr Adeola Egbedokun, announced the commencement of the strike in a statement on Monday.

According to him, this formed part of the resolutions reached at an emergency congress to update members on the EAA disbursement held in lle-Ife, Osun State.

Egbedokun, during the meeting, briefed the lecturers on the series of engagements the executive has had with some senior members of the university community, as well as his conversation with the school’s vice-chancellor.

Thereafter, the lecturers affirmed that the university had no serious commitment to effecting the payment of EAA to deserving members, adding that all political and diplomatic means to resolve the issue had failed.

As part of their resolutions, the lecturers also agreed that the strike must not be called off without a congress resolution to the effect.

For them, the payment of EAA must be based on ASUU computation and anything short of that would be unacceptable while a strike coordinating committee should be set up to monitor compliance.

Read the statement by the ASUU chairman below:

ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU) OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY BRANCH, lle-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

RESOLUTIONS OF THE EMERGENCY CONGRESS HELD ON MONDAY, 31st JANUARY, 2022 AT 10.00AM.

Congress was called to order at about 10.16 am. Items on the agenda were adopted as follows:

(i) Update on EAA Disbursement.

Chairman briefed congress on the series of engagements the executive has had with some senior members of the University community.

He also reported his phone conversation with the Vice-Chancellor. Congress noted that there was no serious commitment on the part of the University to effect payment of EAA to deserving members.

Congress also noted that all political and diplomatic means to resolve the imbroglio has failed.

Consequently, congress resolved that:

i. Total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike should commence immediately.

ii. The strike must not be called off without a congress resolution to the effect.

iii. Payment of EAA must be based on ASUU computation. Anything short of this would be unacceptable.

iv. The Strike Coordinating Committee be set up to monitor the strike.

Based on the above and on the strength of the permission granted by ASUU National President, the Chairman, on behalf of the congress declared the commencement of ASUU OAU’s strike at exactly 11:53 am.

Adjournment: Congress rose at about 12 noon.

31/01/2022

Adeola Egbedokun Ph.D