AAU denies owing staff 32 months’ salary

The management of Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Edo State, has denied owing members of staff 32 months salary.

Acting Vice Chancellor of the Institution, Prof. Asomwan Adagbonyin, stated this on Tuesday, describing the claim as a mischievous, calculated attempt to turn the truth upside down and weep up sentiments.

The Vice-Chancellor said 1710 staff of the institution, comprising academic, senior non-teaching, and junior staff on Tuesday, received their August salaries, adding that 634 pensioners of the University were also paid.

He said, “I welcome you to this briefing which seeks to provide clarifications on one of the issues concerning this University (AAU) that have dominated the media space of late.

“You are aware of a trending video in which some persons alleged that staff of the University were being owed several months of salaries, the highest being 32 months.

“The sweeping generalisations by the speakers in that video showed clear mischief and a desire to turn truth on its head, whip up sentiments, and cast the University in a shadow of wickedness, lack of empathy, brutality, and incapacity.

“This University (AAU) does not owe any staff or group of staff 32 months’ salaries. Any claim by anyone of being owed 32 months’ salaries is not only baseless but disingenuous, considering the fact that AAU academic staff joined the 8-month national strike and the no-work-pay rule was invoked.”

Prof. Adagbonyin who noted that anyone not on the payroll of institution cannot lay claim to be its staff as alleged in the viral video, maintained that AAU has never shown any lack of capacity to pay salaries to its staff.

He added that the University has been meeting its salary obligations to its staff with a “Pay Day” in place that has not exceeded the 27th of every month.

Adagbonyin explained that AAU 2021 conducted a biometric/staff verification exercise in which many of its staff were found to have falsified their ages and official records and added that in fear of being caught, they abandoned the exercise altogether.

He informed us that those who refused to participate in the staff biometric exercise or failed to complete the process have had their names taken off the payroll, and he said that the same applies to those who are facing disciplinary issues.

He added, “One of the complainants in the trending video is known to have begun his biometric verification but did not complete it.

“Rather than redeem himself through the several opportunities available to him, he abandoned the exercise altogether and has continued to launch campaigns of calumny against the university,” he said.

He advised members of staff to submit themselves to the biometric exercise, warning that AAU would not be intimidated or distracted by anyone.