By; Bayo Akamo, Ibadan.
Members of the University of Ibadan chapter of the Non-Academic Staff Uenions (NASU) Wednesday grounded activities at the institution with protest over non-remittance of their deductions and unpaid agreed allowance.
The protest forced authorities of the Institution to suspend its planned matriculation ceremonies for the 2015/2016 academic session earlier scheduled for today Thursday.
It was learnt that the NASU members were protesting against non-remittance of deductions from their salaries, and lack of democratic ethos from the University Management.
New Nigerian gathered that during the protest, the workers shut down all the entrance gates into the university forcing students and visitors into the Institution to treck to their various destinations.
The protesting workers stalled the orientation programme for the new students scheduled to hold at the International Conference Centre of the University by storming the venue and switched off the power supply to the hall.
On gaining entrance into hall, the protesting workers chased out all the students seated awaiting the commencement of the programme and also turned the chairs upside down.
Commenting on the protest by the workers, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Idowu Olayinka declared that the allowances being demanded for by the unions was about N76 million monthly which is outside the allocations to the university and unrealistic in view of the present financial strain facing the institution.
He said the university management has been transparent by announcing to all unions that the university is having a shortfall in its personnel cost since December 2015 making payment of some allowances difficult.
The Vice Chancellor noted that while the total personnel cost of the Institution “is about N932million monthly, the University received N663million in December, 2015 from federal government, and N782 million in January and February 2016 respectively.
Professor Olayinka while lamenting that it was unfortunate that the University finds itself in its present condition, urged federal government to assist the institution in meeting her needs in order to be focused on research, capacity building and development.
He however regretted that some of the new students got injured while trying to escape from the orientation venue to avoid the protesting workers, saying, “it is better to have students of over 3,500 safe and sound than going ahead with the matriculation and risking their lives”.
