The Academic Staff Union of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) in Oron, Akwa Ibom State has called for the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly over the failure of the management to pay the outstanding December 2018 salary.
BusinessDay understands that there seems to be tension among staff of Maritime Academy of Nigeria due to the unpaid salary, seven months after.
Also, the staff union also alleged several other abnormalities in the Academy as the Emmanuel Duja Effedua-led management presently runs the Academy without key officers including registrar, bursar and librarian.
These above-mentioned officers, staff said, are supposed to be three key management staff that are crucial to the day-to-day running of any institution, but rather the rector prefers using staff on acting capacity.
A lecturer in the Academy, who claimed anonymity, told BusinessDay that the non-payment of December salary is putting their members under financial stress, stating that salary is the only source of revenue through which members meet their financial obligations.
“The executives of our academic staff union had been demanding from the Rector, who runs the affairs of the school. We urge the Presidency as well as the National Assembly to wade into this issue,” the source prayed.
According to the source, it was crucial for the dispute to be resolved as quickly as possible for normalcy to return to the Academy.
“The delay in the payment of our last December salary and allowances is causing stress on lecturers because for many of our members, that is the substantial source of their revenue. If the delay issue cannot be resolved, it is going to create tension which might affect academic activities in the school,” the source claimed.
The source further raised concerns as, “how it could be said that over a year after the management of the academy placed an advert seeking for qualified Nigerians to apply, they have not seen anyone qualified to fill up the positions of Registrar, Bursar and librarian.
“For over a year, those appointed have been on acting capacity and do not have any say when it comes to critical issues in the Academy,” the source further alleged.
Reacting to this, Emmanuel Duja Effedua, rector of the institution, said that the demand of the staff are ‘mundane issues’, adding that there are other better national matters to be discussed.
He however, threatened to sack any staff involved in the matter for daring to drag the issue of unpaid salary to the media.
The Rector said that the non-payment of staff December salary is in the hands of the Accountant General of the Federation because the school authority has nothing to do with salary payment.
“Talking of the recruitment of staff, nobody has applied since we placed that advert. Even if they have, I am not the Head of Service, who approves employment. The only advice I have for you is to be careful of these people. They are enemies of progress. They cause so many disharmonies,” the rector said.
He further threatened: “Don’t they know that it is the Federal Government that pays salary. Those spreading the rumours are Oron people. I am looking for scapegoat and I will drag such person before the board and that person will lose his job at the end of the day.”
Amaka Anagor-Ewuzie
