The Owerri Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), yesterday called on the federal and state governments to redress the salary shortfalls in the five public universities in the zone with immediate effect.

Addressing Journalists in Awka, Anambra State capital, the Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Ike Odimegwu, said that the anomaly, which started in 2015, had gone out of control in the last seven months.

Odimegwu, who was represented at the event by Dr. Uzochukwu Onyebinama, Chairperson of ASUU at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, said the situation the present situation has led to delays and payment of fractions of salaries in federal and state universities in the zone.

He said, “We unequivocally demand the immediate release and payment of all outstanding salary shortfalls and remittance of all authorized deductions in order to avert the impending industrial disharmony in our universities.”

The Union listed the affected universities to include Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) and Imo State University (IMSU). Others are Michael Okpara University of Agriculture and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Awka.

Odimegwu further observed that Nnamdi Azikiwe University had salary shortfalls of over N88 million in January, which increased to over N170 million in February while that of FUTO amounted to over N82 million in January and increased to N157 million in February this year.

He also said that at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, the salary shortfall for January amounted to over N111 million but increased to over N136 million in February this year, adding that salaries are not paid as at when due in the state-owned universities in the zone.

Furthermore he said that IMSU’s December 2016 salary was paid by the end of January 2017 while that of January was paid in the first week of March.

According to him, salaries are sometimes delayed for upwards of two months at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.

He also noted that all appeal by ASUU to address issues of delays in payment of salaries and non remittance of authorised deductions were to no avail adding that the union has resolved to reject any cut, deduction or part payment of salaries of its members.

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