Students, Visitors Stranded As Workers Shut Down Ebonyi Varsity

Students of Ebonyi State University (EBSU) and visitors to the school were stranded yesterday following the shutting down of all activities in the institution by the Joint Action Committee of Trade Union (JACTC).

The union had shut down the school as part of its activities of the indefinite strike over the non-payment of their salaries and other welfare packages.

The union members and the staff of the university who barricaded the three campuses of the state- owned institution carried placards with inscriptions: “EBSU is On Strike; We need improved Welfare Packages” and “No One is allowed into the Institution.”

LEADERSHIP Friday observed that both students and visitors were not allowed to access the school gate including those who were inside the school premises as the union leaders locked the gate with keys.

Addressing Journalists shortly after shutting down the campuses, the state chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Comrade Elias Odigbo, regretted the non- implementation of the promotion exercise carried out by the state government.

Odigbo said the promotion must be implemented with corresponding financial effects and the payment of their salaries up to date by the state government.

“We are gathered here to express our grievances that the university is not fair to us. The people that were promoted were given only but a paper; no financial effect. Those promoted were referred to the council and since 2017 till date that the council was inaugurated, they are yet to deliberate on the lingering promotion matter.

“Our salaries are not coming as at when due. This is May and the last salary we received was paid in February 2023 and our pension contribution when deducted was supposed to be remitted to our pension managers, but it is not being remitted.

“The last time it was remitted was in February,2022 even when its deducted till date. Also, conversion was conducted and interview successfully carried out and was thereafter published, regrettably, the next we heard was that it has been cancelled,” he lamented.