Leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) Ambrose Alli University(AAU), Ekpoma Chapter, have laid bare the genesis of their wrangling with the management of the institution led by the acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Sunday Olowo Samuel.
While making exclusively available to Popular News a copy of the letter dated 12th August, 2025 that they forwarded to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University through the acting Vice Chancellor, the lecturers said that having read media reports quoting the acting Vice Chancellor as saying that they’re not been owed salaries they had to come out and state their case “to set the records straight for posterity’s sake.”
In the letter signed by Dr. Cyril Oziegbe Onogbosele(Chairperson) and Dr. William Odion(Secretary) the ASUU AAU, Ekpoma, in part said that the letter “has become necessary against the backdrop of the several meetings held with the University Administration as well as the number of letters written to it by our Union for a long time over non-payment of salaries of staff and non-remittance of third-party deductions (ASUU memberhip dues and members’ welfare savings and loan repayments), in particular, without successful resolution of the issues.”
Going further, the lecturers said: “It is instructive that the University Administration is in default of payment of outstanding salaries of some staff up to 29 months and above, 13th month salary, staff promotion arrears, wage increase arrears, responsibility allowance (for office holders), and deducted third-party monies for fifteen months (September
2020 – November 2021) – all amounting to billions of naira.”
According to the lecturers, “as a result of the University Administration’s delay in resolving the enumerated issues, the Congress of our Union took the following resolutions during its meeting of 29th July, 2025: Congress expressed dissatisfaction over the delay by the University Administration in the payment of outstanding salaries of staff and unremitted third-party deductions for several years, and rejected the outcome of the meeting of the Union’s EXCO with the University Administration over the issues; Congress decried the fixing of not less than the sum of ₦1.5 billion (sourced from unremitted third-party deductions and unpaid staff salaries) in Globus Bank by University Administration when it is in default of payment of outstanding staff salaries and third-party deductions amounting to billions of naira; Congress strongly resolved that the University Administration should pay all outstanding salaries of staff and all unremitted third-party deductions within a period of two weeks with
effect from 4th August, 2025 and Congress also noted that the operation of Treasury Single Account (TSA) in the University was an impediment to the smooth administration of the University at the departmental, faculty and unit levels.
“Consequently, Congress resolved that the University Administration should revert to a decentralized account system for flexible and easy administration of Departments, Faculties and Units in the University.”
In conclusion, the lecturers appealed to the Pro-Chancellor and the Governing Council “to prevail on the University Administration to resolve the issues in discourse without further delay.”
