The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of the Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, has given the Akwa Ibom State Government a 14-day ultimatum to meet their demands or risk industrial action.

The Chairperson of NASU in the university, Mefiok Umana, told Leadership newspaper that the industrial action remains sacrosanct, adding that a letter to that effect was sent to the state government on 20 December.

Affiliates unions to join the strike are members of the Joint Action Committee – comprising NASU, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the National Association of Academic Technologists.

The strike is to start on 3 January, 2024.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, Mr Umana said they have written at least three letters stating their grievances to Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, but that they were yet to receive any response.

The issues according to Mr Umanah are poor funding of the institution, non-payment of salary arrears, leave grants and 13th month salary to workers at the university.

Others include lack of hostels and non-constitution of the Governing Council for the university, non-implementation of hazard allowance at approved rate and non-release of capital allocation for the institution.

According to Mr Umana, workers in the institution are currently receiving N2,000 as hazard allowance against the agreed rate of N15, 000 for junior staff and N30, 000 for senior staff.

“Most of the issues cannot be implemented by the vice chancellor except the approval of the governor. For instance, payment of palliatives, increment in subvention – the university subvention is grossly insufficient and the university too, is grossly under-funded. It is only the governor that can implement this.

“We are in a sad situation where the university only powers its generator for two hours in a day, precisely from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. One is left to ask what sort of research can be done in the institution.

“Go there. You won’t see hostels. Our students have to stay off campus, which exposes them to so much risk, particularly our girls that get raped from time to time.

“If you enter our school, you would notice that most of the buildings there are built by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TEFFUND), meaning the government at the state level is not addressing infrastructural deficits in the institution,” he said.

Asked if there was a reported case of rape because of the students staying off campus, Mr Umana referred PREMIUM TIMES to a case which he claimed the wife of the immediate past governor was handling before the end of that administration.

“We have had more than two of them, particularly at Obio Akpa campus… You know if these children were to live in the hostel, community boys would not come in to harass them.”

Mr Umana said the chapter had communicated with the state secretary of NASU and that he was sending a letter to the national headquarters of the body to inform them of the planned strike.

The State Commissioner for Information, Ini Ememobong, when contacted, referred PREMIUM TIMES to Idongesit Etiebet, the commissioner for education.

When our reporter contacted Mrs. Etiebet on Friday, she requested him to send questions to her via a text message, which the reporter did. She did not, however, respond to the message at the time of filing this report.