The management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has dismissed reports that it paid half salaries to members of its academic staff, describing the claim as false.
The clarification followed the suspension of an indefinite strike by the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Thursday.
The union had commenced the industrial action on 9 September over a dispute concerning the payment of allowances.
The strike was suspended after the university management committed to paying the Earned Academic Allowance component for June, July and August by 18 September.
In a statement issued on Friday, UNIBEN’s Public Relations Officer, Benedicta Ehanire, said the university paid full salaries to all categories of staff in August, as it had done in previous months.
She said the payment was made after the Federal Government issued a warrant that enabled the university to disburse salaries before the end of the month.
Ehanire said management also clarified the distinction between salaries and allowances during a meeting with the local ASUU executive.
According to her, the union leadership was informed about the tax implications of combining salaries and allowances into a single payment.
She added that staff could suffer financial disadvantages if the statutory distinction between the different forms of emolument was not observed under the new tax framework.
“The management of the University of Benin has again reiterated that the report of payment of half salary to academic staff of the university is patently false,” the statement said.
Ehanire explained that the Federal Government’s share of allowances for academic staff, which had been delayed due to the non-release of a payment warrant, was subsequently paid in full following the release of the warrant covering tertiary institutions nationwide.
She also disclosed that the University Governing Council’s portion of allowances due to eligible academic staff had been paid after the necessary verification process.
The university management expressed confidence that the clarification would resolve the controversy surrounding the payment of salaries and allowances.
It also assured stakeholders that it remained committed to maintaining peace and academic harmony on campus.
The institution urged all stakeholders to rely on official dialogue and clarification when addressing concerns, saying this would help prevent unnecessary industrial disputes.
