University of Benin (UNIBEN), chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Wednesday embarked on an indefinite strike action over what it termed ‘amputated’ salary paid to its members by the management of the university.
The academic association took the decision after its congress was held to specifically discuss the half salary paid to its members for the month of August 2026.
The UNIBEN ASSU, in a statement endorsed by its Chairman, Professor Enaruna Edosa and Dr. L. O. Aimiyekagbon, Secretary, stated that the action followed ‘the extant NEC resolution that granted Branches authority to withdraw their services when salaries are not fully paid by the 3rd of the new month, and the resolution of the Emergency NEC of 5th September, 2026 mandating Branches in Federal universities whose salaries were underpaid to take action, and consequently declared a total and indefinite withdrawal of services until the underpaid salaries are fully paid.’
According to the statement, ‘For the avoidance of doubt, members are directed to cease teaching, supervision, attendance at Departmental Board, Faculty Board, Senate or other statutory meetings, and engagement in any academic or administrative activity while this action lasts.
‘Where any extenuating circumstances arise that may require a review of this decision, the Branch Chairman shall convene an emergency meeting of Congress to formally take a resolution on it. Until such a Congress meeting is convened, this decision shall continue to subsist.’ The statement was reiterated.
It would be recalled that tension had risen in the university following the payment of half salary to the academic staff for the month of August.
The payment of the August half salary without the payment of other allowances, the union stated, came as a surprise, as lecturers who took loans from the University were said to be hard-hit by the development as they virtually had nothing to take home for the month.
This was just as it was further gathered that apart from the five months’ arrears released by the Federal Government as part of the implementation of the ASUU-FG agreement, the government had quietly shifted the implementation of the agreement to the Universities without funding.
Before the full-blown industrial action, UNIBEN ASUU Chairman, Professor Edosa, had expressed optimism that with the university management paying professorial allowances to deserving members of the Union, ‘I believe the Vice Chancellor that the outstanding half salary will be paid’.
It was further gathered that the university paid the academic staff half salary for August from the university’s internationally generated revenue following the failure of the Federal Government to send subvention to the university.
The university, in a hasty reaction to the development, described the report of the payment of the half salary as ‘fake’.
In an unsigned statement sent to journalists on Wednesday evening by Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, the university spokesperson, the university said that ‘it is not true that academic staff of the institution were paid half salary in August 2026; the Management declared that the Federal Government has paid the salaries of all categories of staff up to August 2026.
‘The Management disclosed that the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), which was confused for salary, has now been released by the federal government and promptly disbursed to staff who are entitled to the Allowance.’ The statement emphasised.
The university further assured that ‘whatever is due to staff of the University will be paid without hindrance and advised against undue sensationalisation of issues by all stakeholders in order to sustain the prevailing industrial harmony in the University, and the Nigerian University System as a whole.’