More controversies are swirling around the alleged mass dismissal of academic and non-academic staff at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma by the institution’s management.
According to reports on Tuesday evening, AAU’s interim management committee fired more than 90 employees.
The reports state that 20 of the dismissed employees were academic employees and the remaining 70 were non-academic employees.
The sack letters, cited by newsmen cited “repositioning the University” as reason for their disengagement.
But Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State promptly denied authorizing the issuance of the letters of disengagement, insisting that they are illegal, null and void.
The Governor maintained that his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare in the university remains sacrosanct and he hasn’t sanctioned the action of the AAU management.
A list of 22 workers purportedly disengaged by the state-owned university surfaced on online on Tuesday.
The letter was being circulated alongside a letter of disengagement addressed to one Dr. Jude Obasanmi of the Department of Economics in the institution.
The chairman of ASUU in the university, Dr Cyril Onogbosele, said the staff members were sacked as part of attempts to suppress the staff from demanding what was due them.
However, in a swift response, the management of AAU also dismissed the claim of mass sacking of members of staff.
It alleged that members of ASUU were behind the speculations of the mass retrenchment.
The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Lawrence Isiraojie, said this while speaking to journalists on the controversies.
“The claims are not a true reflection of happening in the school,” he said.
He, however, confirmed that only one lecturer from the Department of Economics was disengaged, while a professor from the Modern Languages was retired.
“The information circulating around about the mass sack is not true.
“Management has not sacked those workers they listed on the paper circulating round the social media.
“Only two individuals were affected,” he said.
The ASUU chairman, however disputed the claim.
He said: “Already 22 staff members have been given sack letters”, adding that up to 90 workers might be affected.
“The move is part of attempt to suppress the staff members from demanding what was due to them.
” Fourteen professors have been shortlisted for retirement, which will be a great loss to the school.
“How on earth do you retire workers who are not due for retirement? What the management is doing by this action is to suppress workers from asking for their dues.
“Some are being owed for 21 months’ salaries, while selective salary payment has become the order of the day.”