Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU Port Harcourt zone has vowed to withdraw its services if the fractional and outright non payment of salaries persists in the varsities that make up the zone.
The universities that make up the zone include, University of Port Harcourt, UNIPORT, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa state, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, RSUST, Ignatius Aturu University of Education, and Federal University, Otuoke.
Briefing newsmen in Yenagoa yesterday,the Coordinator, ASUU, Pot Harcourt Zone Professor Beke Sese flanked by ASUU chairpersons representing the various institutions, lamented that since last year, federal and state governments as proprietors of the universities have been implementing an implicit policy of starvation in the universities by either paying fractional or outright non payment of salaries.
Though ASUU did not issue any ultimatum, however, Professor Sese, explained that it is obvious that the patience of ASUU has been stretched to a limit, adding that there was a limit to elasticity.
Sese said: “Our members are being compelled by the actions and inactions of government to contemplate the hard decision of withdrawing our services. The various Congresses within the Port Harcourt Zone have reviewed the situations and concluded that the situation is unsustainable particularly at this period of economic hardship.
” It is the height of irresponsibility and wickedness to withhold university staff salaries while establishing new universities at the same time.”
