Certificate, Academic Transcripts  Saga: ASUU-AAU Raises the  Alarm over Selective Justice

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin

The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma chapter, yesterday  raised the alarm over what it termed as selective justice in the alleged certificate and academic transcripts racketeering in the institution.

The chairperson of ASUU-AAU, Ekpoma, Dr. Cyril Oziegbe Onogbosele, stated this while addressing journalists in Benin  while making a presentation on “SIT’s Interim and Progress Reports on Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma: The Truth and the Misinformation.”

On August 19, the Ambrose Alli University, through the Special Intervention Team (SIT), said: “The Institution discovered over 30 cases of AAU students living abroad for not less than two years, writing exams and graduating.

It said the staff members and heads of departments involved have been handed over to DSS and ICPC for action”. But reacting to the allegation, Onogbosele said the union observed selective justice in the trial and punishment meted out to some of the staff, adding that it seems that there are sacred cows and “no go areas”  in the handling of disciplinary cases on the matter.

Onogbosele also said that the claim that the staff of the institution invaded tax to the tune of N2 billion was false and that if it were true, one would have thought that the names of those culpable should have been published and the offenders prosecuted and punished.

According to him, the false information on payment of tax in the university is an attestation of the degree of desperation by SIT, particularly Mr. Austin Osakue, to remain in the institute to continue to direct arbitrary administration of the university and pocket sitting allowances from the meagre financial resources of the university.

He further alleged also that ASUU-AAU is aware that some academic staff (members of the union) who retired at the statutory age of 70 years, have been refused disengagement from the university following the deliberate refusal by the institution’s administration to respond to their letters of notification of retirement.

He said worse still, some of the victims retirement  denial are being owed several months of salary by the university.

The ASUU-AAU boss, however, called on the visitor (Governor of Edo State) to the institution to investigate the misinformation and propaganda being peddled by SIT to determine the true state of the crisis rocking the university.

He also called on the state government as a matter of urgency, implement the decisions reached at the stakeholders’ meeting on the crisis in the university held on 16th March, 2023 in order to genuinely resolved the crisis rocking the university.

 Onogbesele further appealed that the annual increments of staff salaries stopped by the university management should be restored, imploring the university visitor to as a matter of urgency, constitute a Governing Council for the university to function properly.