Ekiti owing us 15 years gratuity, five-month pension arrears, varsity retirees lament

The Nigerian Universities’ Pensioners Association, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti chapter, has lamented the non-payment of 15 years gratuity arrears totalling N1.5 billion.

As reported by The Nation, the retirees appealed to the state government and EKSU management to persuade the Academic Staff Union of University, EKSU chapter, to suspend its strike for swift payment of their five-month pension arrears.

The Chairman, NUPA EKSU, Chief Samuel Akinwale, while addressing reporters in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, said it was disturbing for the university to withhold their pensions since May 2022 due to the ASUU strike.

Akinwale said many of their members had died in the last 15 years due to undue suffering and neglect occasioned by inability of the university to defray their gratuities as and when due.

The pensioners appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi to increase the monthly subvention to the university, urging the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Edward Olanipekun, to embark on aggressive internally generated revenue drive to fund the institution.

“All our members are being owed five months’ pensions from May 2022 to date due to what we are made to know as the ongoing ASUU strike in the university.

“We are calling on the Ekiti State government to intervene in this matter by bailing out the university through a special fund, which may likely save our people from going to their early graves.

“Pensioners are not on strike, but in retirement and should not be made to bear undue punishment because a particular union is on strike.

“We want to appeal to the State government who owns EKSU to direct the striking lecturers to call off their strike, so that life will return to that university.

“We are stating this because ASUU in several states nationwide have called off their strike while ASUU in some states universities didn’t participate in the strike at all, including Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti.

“We call on the state government to increase funding, particularly monthly subvention to EKSU. Stakeholders, alumni, staff, pensioners should also sit up in providing a roadmap for the prosperity of the institution in the area of revenue generation,” Akinwale said.