Gbenro Adesina
The Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Kayode Adebowale, today, allayed the fears of the protesting members of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), over Earned Allowance, saying that their demands would not only be met, but his administration would depart from the previous ways in which Earned Allowances have been shared among the staff.
Adebowale, who addressed the protesting staff in front of the historic Trenchard Hall assured that a committee that would comprise all the Unions would be set up to address all the grey areas regarding Earned Allowance, adding that at the end of the day, justice would not only be done, it would be seen to have been done.
The Vice Chancellor agreed with the protesters that Earned Allowance is meant to be earned, stressing that only those who have worked for it would be paid.
His words, “Throughout the weekend, I have have been having discussions with your chairman and I know that it was on Saturday he called me. I saw the letter you sent. We have had some discussions. I have also had some discussions with the management team. As I was coming down, I looked at faces of the people that are standing, there are so many of you that I know very well. You are the group of people that are the closest to the Academic because the work that we do in the laboratory, we work together. There is no bird that flies with one part of the wings. There is no research in the sciences that has been completed without the technologists. It is not only in Nigeria, it is worldwide, that is very clear.
“I want you to look at this administration as a very new administration. We are very privileged that the Deputy VC Administration is one of the people, a guru, in distribution of Earned Allowances. He has been doing it for so many years. I have always been telling people that Earned Allowances must be earned. It is the work that you do that will make you to earn it. It is not just distributed.
“What we are going to do might be a departure from the past. We can’t settle everything with the number of people. it is going to be settled on the conference table. There is going to be a committee that will comprise all unions. By the grace of God, we are going to sit together. Let me assure you of justices. There is going to be justices. Let me just allay your fears and allay your agitation. Just go and relax. There is no need gathering like this.
“Just go and relax. The committee is going to do the work and we are going to follow it very very closely. I, personally, will follow it very very closely and I can assure you that justice will be done. They came to call me from a meeting, there is a meeting going on upstairs and I said it has to wait”.
Earlier, some members of the protesting workers presented their grievances to the VC and members of his management team.
Siseku Andrew, from the Works and Maintenance and Emmanuel Nodim from the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, among others urged the school’s management to follow the agreements signed by all the unions with the federal government in sharing the Earned Allowance.
They harped on the fact that only deserving staff should be paid Occupational Hazard Allowance, pleading that the 2009 agreement should be followed to the letter, which recommended that the money be paid to only the deserving staff.
They pleaded with the management not to follow the steps of their predecessors, who were used to buying peace rather than ensuring peace by the what is right.
They alerted the management of some hazards they are exposed to saying that many of them have been victims of Covid-19, Tuberculosis, chemical infections, among others.
They stated, “What we are saying is that this money should be paid to the eligible ones that deserve it”.
