AAU Management Denies ASUU Claim Of Clearing All Salary Arrears

Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, has rejected claims by the Academic Staff Union of Universities that its management misled the public on the payment of staff salary arrears.

The dispute followed reports that the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Sunday Olowo Samuel, had declared that all backlogs were cleared with a monthly subvention of N500 million.

The institution’s ASUU chapter, through its leaders, Dr. Cyril Onogbosele and Dr. William Odion, maintained that several categories of payments were still pending. They listed outstanding arrears of up to 29 months for some staff, unpaid 13th-month salaries, promotion arrears, wage increase arrears, responsibility allowances, and deductions such as union dues and staff welfare contributions. According to them, the unresolved debts amounted to billions of naira.

Union representatives said repeated letters and meetings with the university management had failed to resolve the issue. They insisted that the non-payment of salaries had left many workers demoralised and called on the administration to present the true situation rather than give misleading information.

In response, the university’s Principal Assistant Registrar and Head of Public Relations, Mike Aladenika, said the allegations were untrue. He explained that the Vice Chancellor’s recent media briefing did not state that all arrears were cleared but focused on the ongoing process of reducing them. He added that the administration had prioritised prompt payment of current salaries and pensions, while gradually settling arrears inherited from previous administrations.

According to the university, staff members who were owed more than 35 months have already received 10 months’ arrears under the first phase of payments, while those owed above 20 months have also been paid 10 months in a second phase. Management described the process as ongoing, with individual cases being addressed as applications were made.

On the 13th-month salary, the administration clarified that it had never been part of any binding agreement, but only a subject of negotiations between unions, management, and the state government. It said the university had never paid 13 months’ salary in any financial year, though it remained open to constructive discussions on the matter.

The management urged ASUU to avoid misrepresentations and assured staff that it remained committed to resolving the arrears through a phased approach while sustaining the regular payment of current wages.