The members of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), University of Calabar chapter, on Wednesday, embarked on a mass protest over non-payment of lecturers’ allowances in the institution.
The protesters carried who placards with various inscriptions, were seen matching around the institutions singing solidarity songs.
The Chairman of ASUU, UNICAL chapter, John Edor, disclosed that the unpaid salaries and arrears ranged from 4 to 6 years, depending on the sub-head.
Edor said they have been demanding for the payment of their arrears even before the COVID-19 Pandemic crisis, and IPPIS monster compounded their “vagaries and vissititutes”
He said: “Our grievances are that for a number of years now, members of ASUU, University of Calabar chapter, have been working and our entitlements have not been paid to us.
“Such entitlements include teaching of GSS Courses, Graduate Thesis Supervision Allowance, CES Courses, Sandwich programmes, Pre-degree and promotion arrears.
“Some of our members had been employed and they commenced payment of their salaries but a backlog of their salaries is left unpaid, and that is what we call salary arrears.
We have been asking for our entitlements for long, but the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded our vagaries and vissititutes.
“The lockdown has made it impossible for us to go and source for other legitimate means of livelihood to feed our families.”
Edor further added that protest is just to make a statement, and if their entitlements is not paid, the will commence what he tagged, “Operation Occupy UNICAL.”
It would be recalled that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (National) had on Monday, March 23, 2020, declared an indefinite strike.
EDUCARE NEWS reported that the union rejected the use of force to make its members enroll on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
