From Msurshima Andrew, Makurdi
Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and Non
Academic Staff Union (NASU), Benue State University, (BSU) chapter on
Monday, staged a protest over alleged non promotion of their members.
The two union members who staged a joint protest also demanded that
the university’s Pro Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council,
Professor Zachariah Gundu be sacked for allegedly committing
atrocities.
The protesters who were all in black attires, bore palm fronds in
their arms while some bore placards with various inscriptions such as,
“Prof. Gundu Must Go”, Pay Us Our Earned Allowance”, “We Demand
Pro-Chancellor’s Sack” among others.
The union members also said they want immediate payment of their
Earned Allowance arrears.
But the Chairman of Council and Pro Chancellor of the Benue state
University, Professor Zachariah Gundu described the protest by SSANU
and NASU as baseless saying the protesters were unfair to the
management of the institution.
Gundu who explained that BSU is the only University in Nigeria today
that is up to date in the payment of the earned allowance to both
academic and none academic staff said it was unfortunate that the
union have decided to embark on the protest.
He told newsmen that when Governor Samuel Ortom took over leadership
of the state in 2015, he tried to solve the industrial action at the
university by building the earned allowance into the staff salary, and
has, since then, has kept to his promise.
On the issue of promotion, Gundu said, it will be unfair for SSANU and
NASU, to think that the institution will just grant promotion to staff
arbitrarily without earning it.
He noted that currently, the non academic staffs in the institution
were in excess, with some not having work schedule.
According to him, “the university, as it is now, has 21 deputy
registrars, the highest that could be found in any institution in
Nigeria. It may interest you to know promotion is not a right, it is
earned. “Promotion is done when there is room for it or when people
merit it.
“The protesters are also claiming that I have committed atrocities,
but they can’t even mention one atrocity I have committed. I think the
protest is purely political, baseless and lacking in substance,” Gundu
said
