The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Akwa Ibom State University chapter, ASUU-AKSU, Ikot Akpaden, Mkpat Enin local government area, has threatened to reinstate its suspended strike over the government’s failure to honor a part of the agreement relating to the payment of November salary and the backlog of outstanding arrears.

Prof. Nse Essien, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, had notified staff members in a note sent by the institution’s registrar, Mrs. Ebi Eno-Ibanga, that the November 2021 salary will be paid within two days of Christmas, without the expected backlog of arrears.

The VC apologized for the November salary 2021 payment delay in a memo with the reference number AKSU/Reg/S/vol.111/694, saying it was not a breach of the state government’s agreement with the unions.

Before the strike was suspended in June, the state government agreed with the AKSU that in November 2021, it would pay the final tranche of 25% of 2020 for the remaining two months, as well as 100% of November 2021 salary and that in December 2021, it would pay 25% arrears for the months of March and April 2021, as well as 100% of December 2021 salary.

However, the institution’s ASUU said in a statement yesterday that the content of VC’s appeal was a clear violation of the above-mentioned agreement, which it signed with the state government on June 8, 2021.

The suggested payment plan was rejected in a statement issued by ASUU-AKSU Chairperson Inyang Udosen and Secretary Joseph Mark, who also threatened to resume the paused strike if the University management went ahead with the planned payment plan.

The statement partly reads, ” ASUU-AKSU categorically wishes to state that the content of the above-quoted memo, if implemented, will constitute a clear violation of the agreement freely and willingly entered into by the government of Akwa Ibom state, the Akwa Ibom State University Management and JAC of all unions in the University and witnessed by the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly on the 8th of June, 2021.

“ASUU-AKSU, therefore, reject in its entirety the proposed payment plan for November 2021 as stated in the memo and thus categorically state that AKSU- AKSU shall be left with no option than to immediately revisit the suspended strike in the event that the University Management goes ahead with the proposed payment plan”.

Some university employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity expressed dissatisfaction with the university administration’s purported nonchalant attitude toward their welfare.

They complained “that except the impasse is resolved within the next 48 hours, staffers of AKSU will have to celebrate this year’s Christmas without November and December salaries”