ASUU Is Making Noise – Abia Finance Commissioner, Akpara

The Abia State commissioner for finance Mr Mike Akpara had described members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities Abia State University chapter as “Noise Makers”.

Mr Akpara during a live radio interview on family Love FM Umuahia, said the lecturers were the reasons why the government has refused to pay them stating that some lecturers have refused to subject themselves for verification.

He queries why they should even be considering going on strike or complain over non payment of their salaries when they are only being owed for three months by the Otti administration but refused to complain or even speak up during the last administration that he said owed them up to 11months.

He stated that the government is making arrangements to pay them but that some of them presented unverifiable accounts making it difficult for the banks to post their salaries.

The finance commissioner who was boasting of taking home over 10 million naira monthly as allowances when the state government have refused to pay workers wage awards as directed and made provision for by the federal Government said the proposal to offset the arrears being owed the lecturers are on the table of Governor Otti and that he is waiting for his approval to pay.

When contacted an executive of ASUU, Abia State University who spoke to us on condition of anonymity said the government is showing dishonesty in the payment of their salaries, he said more than half of their members have not received salaries and that those who were paid got just one month and with unexplained deductions ranging from 11000 to 40,000 naira and wondered why government will be segregational in the payment of salaries if not for reasons of punishing those who were perceived not to have supported the Otti ambition in the last election.

Recall that the LP government in Abia State is yet to implement the old minimum wage of 30,000 naira despite appeals by the Nigerian Labour Congress