Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University chapter, Mr. Cyril Onogbosele, has revealed that 10 of their members died as a result of the denial of their salaries by the University management, since the commencement of strike.
Onogbosele made the revelation on Wednesday when the National President of the Union, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, led other national delegates in a solidarity protest to the University over their unpaid salaries and sundry issues in the institution.
Onogbosele said: “Since this strike started, we have lost 10 lecturers. Workers have been denied their salaries for 19 months now. Many of us are dying as a result of that. We cannot meet our financial obligations to our families because of unpaid salaries.”
He added that the protest was to further draw the attention of residents of the State to the action of the Governor Godwin Obaseki, and to prevail on him to address the issues.
The National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said the national body was in Ekpoma in solidarity with the University’s chapter over the banning of union activities by Governor Obaseki.