Ambrose Alli University sacked 22 lecturers to suppress salary agitation: ASUU

The management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, has dismissed the claim of the mass sacking of members of staff made by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The university’s spokesman, Lawrence Isiraojie, told journalists the claim had no truth.

A list of 22 workers purportedly disengaged by the state-owned university surfaced online on Tuesday.

The letter was circulated alongside a letter of disengagement addressed to Jude Obasanmi of the Department of Economics in the institution.

The chairman of ASUU in the university, Cyril Onogbosele, said the staff members were sacked as part of attempts to suppress the staff from demanding what was due them.

But Mr Isiraojie said, “The claims are not a true reflection of what is happening in the school.”

The spokesman, however, confirmed one lecturer from the Department of Economics was disengaged, while a professor from the Modern Languages was retired.

“The information circulating around about the mass sack is not true.

“Management has not sacked those workers they listed on the paper circulating round social media. Only two individuals were affected,” he said.

But the ASUU chairman said, “Already 22 staff members have been given sack letters. The move is part of attempts to suppress the staff members from demanding what was due to them. Fourteen professors have been shortlisted for retirement, which will be a great loss to the school.”

He added, “How on earth do you retire workers who are not due for retirement? What the management is doing by this action is to suppress workers from asking for their dues. Some are being owed 21 months’ salaries, while selective salary payment has become the order of the day.”

(NAN)