The Benue chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), has accused the union’s National President, Mr Samuel Omaji, of “ignoring arbitrary deductions” from their salaries.
Omaji, aside the national leadership position, has been the ASUSS Chairman in Benue for the past 10 years,
The union members, in a protest letter signed by 106 teachers and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Makurdi, alleged that Omaji had “never kicked against the deductions”.
“We have always complained to the union, and specifically to the National President, but he has always looked the other way, leaving us to our fate,” the letter stated.
NAN reports that the Benue Teaching Service Board (TSB) had, over the years, been accused of series of deductions from teachers’ salaries.
The letter lamented that the “arbitrary deductions” had become “too enormous and without questions from ASUSS”.
The members accused the state and national leadership of the union of failing to protect the interest and welfare of teachers, and also wondered why retired members were allowed to hold executive council positions.
They also accused the Benue leadership of the union of failing to hold a general meeting in the past 10 years, and promised to seek legal redress if their grievances were not addressed “within 14 days”.
Omaji, who reacted to the accusations, however, said that the issues raised had already been addressed.
“There is nothing I can say about their accusations, The issues they are raising have been addressed. There is nothing to say or add,” he said. (NAN)
AEB/ORO/ETS
