The Chairman, Nigerian Universities Pensioners Association, Ekiti State University Chapter, Chief Bamidele Akinwale, on Tuesday raised alarm over the sufferings of members due to the over N1.5 billion gratuities owed them within the last 15 years.
Akinwale said that in addition, “Our members are being owed five months’ pensions (from May 2022 till date) due to what we are made to know as ‘the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities strike in the university”.
The pensioners, who spoke at a press briefing in Ado Ekiti, saying some of them had received quarter of their gratuities while others were yet to receive any, called on the state government to save them from dying by intervening through increasing subvention to the university.
The NUPA EKSU leader said, “The pathetic issue at stake is that many of our people are either dead or chronically ill as of today because their dues are not paid and have no money to take care of themselves.
“We are calling on 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 graves early.
“We have graduates who are jobless at home, if our gratuities and pensions are paid promptly, some of us would have been able to help them to establish trades or businesses which would help us at our old age.
“On this basis, 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 saying this because ASUU in several state universities nationwide have called off the strike while ASUU in some universities did not participate in the state at all including Bamidele Olumilua University, Ikere Ekiti, which is equally owned by Ekiti State Government.
“We call on Ekiti State Government to increase funding of EKSU, particularly the monthly subvention. At the same time, stakeholders including staff, pensioners and alumni of the university should sit up in providing a road map for the prosperity of the institution, particularly in the areas of revenue generation,” Akinwale said.
