By Victor Ogunje:
The Nigerian Universities’ Pensioners Association (NUPA), Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti chapter, has raised the alarm over sufferings being experienced by members over unpaid 15 years gratuity arrears totalling N1.5 billion.
The retirees, however, appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi and EKSU management to persuade the Academic Staff Union of University, EKSU chapter, to suspend its industrial action for swift payment of their five months pension arrears.
Addressing newsmen in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, the Chairman, NUPA EKSU, Chief Samuel Bamidele Akinwale, said it was disturbing for the university to withhold their pensions since May 2022 due to ASUU’s strike.
They regretted that many of their members had gone into their early graves in the last 15 years due to undue sufferings and neglect occasioned by inability of the university to defray their gratuities as and when due.
The pensioners appealed to Fayemi to increase monthly subvention to the university, while urging the Vice Chancellor, Prof Eddy Olanipekun, to embark on aggressive internally generated revenue drives to fund the institution.
“All our members are being owed five months pensions from May 2022 to date due to what we are made to know as the ongoing ASUU strike in the university. We are calling on Ekiti State government to intervene in this matter by bailing out the university through a special fund, which may likely save our people from going to their early graves.
“Pensioners are not on strike, but in retirement and should not be made to bear undue punishment because a particular union is on strike. We want to appeal to the State government who owns EKSU to direct the striking lecturers to call of their strike, so that life will return to that university.
“We are stating this because ASUU in several states nationwide have called off their strike while ASUU in some states universities didn’t participate in the strike at all , including Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti,” he said.
