ASUU denies alleged graduation of AAU students abroad, floors management policies

The Ekpoma chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Ambrose Alli University (AAU) in Edo State has refuted allegations that they were graduating students who were based outside Nigeria. Concurrently, the union criticized the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki, accusing it of deviating from established university norms in its management of the university.

During a press conference held in Benin City, the Union’s chairperson, Dr. Cyril Onogbosele, asserted that the university’s management, in collaboration with the Special Intervention Team (SIT) established by the state governor, has been unjustly accusing its members.

These allegations include tax evasion, the manipulation of certificates and academic transcripts, alongside various instances of non-compliance with obligations. Examples of these breaches encompass issues such as improper handling of deductions for the state health insurance, failure to remit ASUU check-off dues, irregular salary payments to staff, insufficient funding for the university, and more.

Addressing the claim made by the SIT that about 30 students had been graduated abroad, Dr. Onogbosele questioned the basis for these allegations. He emphasized that the graduation process in a university encompasses more than just the marking of exam scripts.

ASUU deemed these accusations of academic misconduct as unsubstantiated and called for the public release of the names, courses, departments, graduation years of the implicated students, and details about the alleged involvement of lecturers.

Concerning the SIT’s assertion of staff members evading taxes amounting to over N2 billion, Dr. Onogbosele expressed skepticism. He noted that if these claims were true, the logical step would be to publicize the names of the tax-defaulting staff and pursue legal actions against them.

Dr. Onogbosele further accused both the university’s management and the SIT of imposing undue restrictions on staff members’ access to the university premises. He claimed that employees were being required to pay a fee before being allowed to drive into the campus and access their offices.

As a possible solution, he called upon Governor Obaseki to implement the resolutions agreed upon during a stakeholders meeting held on March 16th of the current year, outlining the way forward for the university.

At the time of compiling this report, the university’s management had yet to respond to the concerns raised. Otunba Mike Aladenika, the Head of Corporate Communications at the University, had not provided any responses to inquiries.