Half-salary payment to academic staff of the University of Benin for the month of August is generating tension among members of the Academic Staff Union of the University (ASUU).

Non-academic staff of the University were, however, paid their full salary for August.

It was learnt that the payment of the August half-salary to academic staff was made without payment for other allowances and came as a surprise, as the University management failed to give any prior notice to ASUU members.

Lecturers who took loans from the University are said to be hard-hit by the development, as they virtually had nothing to take home for the month.

The August half-salary payment, which came ahead of the resumption of schools later this month, is said to have placed many of the academic staff in a very tight corner in terms of provision for their children and wards.

It was learnt that, apart from the five months’ arrears released by the Federal Government as part of the implementation of the ASUU-FG agreement, the Government had quietly shifted the implementation of the agreement to the universities without funding.

Reacting to the August half-salary payment in what it termed an “important notice”, the leadership of ASUU UNIBEN Branch said it “has met with the University Administration over the payment of August salary, and we have been assured by University Administration that more alerts will come soon: that, there should be no cause for alarm. We all should therefore remain calm”.

The statement was signed by the Secretary of the Union, Dr L. O. Aimiyekagbon.

But the Chairman of the Union, Dr Enaruna Edosa, who said the August half-pay came as a surprise, however, disclosed that three days later, the management of the University paid professorial allowances to deserving members of the academic staff of the University, adding, “I believe the Vice Chancellor that the outstanding half salary will be paid”.

It was gathered that the management of the University paid academic staff half salary for August from the University’s internally generated revenue following the Federal Government’s failure to send subvention to the University. (Daily Sun)