OAU workers’ unions protest illegal deductions

In spite of the on-going national strike by members of the Academic Staff Union Universities (ASUU), the four staff unions of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife continued with their quests to seek refund of the illegal double deductions of pension contribution from their salaries by the management with protests and prayer session at the institution's Sports Centre. The staff unions made up of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists Staff (NAATS) and the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), since six months, have been battling the Vice Professor, Michael Faborode and the Bursar, Mrs. Omolara Odeyemi, over the illegal double deductions of the contributory pension. N.B Visit www.campusflava.com for updates and information related to other schools.   The aggrieved OAU workers, who were battle ready started with a prayer session and while singing, called the VC and bursar unprintable names for being adamant and vowed to continue the struggle until the university management refunds the money with interest. The four staff union chairmen took turns to address the workers on the on-going struggle and sought for their supports to ensure that the over N400 million illegally deducted as pension from their salaries was refunded by the management, stressing that no amount of intimidation and falsehood would make them back out. Addressing newsmen on the issue, the Chairman of the Joint Executive Committee of Staff Unions (JECOSUN), Dr. Ife Adewumi, said the Federal Government deduct 7.5 per cent pension from source and that OAU management is also deducting another 7.5 per cent making it double deductions. Adewumi alleged that the illegal deductions by the university management is not being remitted to Pencom as stipulated by law, insisting that the money, based on evidence made available to the Bursar, Mrs. Odeyemi, is still within the system and wondered why it has refused to accept the unions position and stop the illegal deduction. His words: "We have evidence of illegal deduction and cheques written in the name of the university bursar which was presented to the management, yet they fail to reason with the unions. The illegal deduction is being investigated by relevant government agencies." According to him, the staff unions last month gave the OAU management an ultimatum that if by June 30, if it fails to stop the illegal deductions, the entire workforce would stage protests to press home their demands for refund. The Chairman, JECOSUN, faulted the claim by the VC that the staff unions' executives at a meeting with the management in 2008 agreed to a 36-month deduction from their salaries to cover an earlier payment made to the staff in error which government wanted a refund. He noted that once the unions found out the truth, they asked for its stoppage. He disclosed that the unions are waiting for the outcome of the investigation into their petition on the issue by the Accountant General of the Federation and confirmed that ICPC official with the VC, who was absent invited the unions.