...Says Governor Godwin Obaseki owing 24 months' salary 

...4 professors died of hunger so far 

Some concerned lecturers at the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, on Monday, appealed to well-meaning Edolites and Nigerians to come to their rescue as they are gradually dying of hunger due to non-payment of their 24 months' salary by the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

One of the lecturers, Professor Andy Omosi, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, mentioned names of lecturers that died without payment of salaries for 22 to 24 months.

The lecturers, according to him are Prof. Okosodo, Prof. Omoike, Prof. Ailemen, Prof. Clem Ojeabu and many more. He said the Governor is also owing other staff from 5 months to 24 months salaries.

"He stopped subvention that Oshiomole was giving to the school. Oshiomole did not owe staff salaries at the end of his tenure. Many programs are presently not accredited because of lack of funds including College of medicine. Weeds have taken over the school, structures are dilapidated and official vehicles are grounded. Equipment are in a state of disrepair and petrol and diesel to run the system are never available. The university is not working. All these are happening because there is no subvention to the university.

"Money is required from government to run a government university apart from payment of salaries. It is not a private university for crying out loud.

"A responsible government that increases minimum wage for state workers is expected to increase subvention to the university so that the university can also pay the new minimum wage to staff. Unfortunately, no government's presence in the university since Obaseki came. We all in the diaspora campaigned for him when Oshiomole was against him, but he turned against us.

"The university has never left the funding for only the government. The university has always augmented with internally generated revenue. But Obaseki stopped the subvention and the university is in total disarray. Students are no longer applying to AAU because of the high school fees and collapse of the system. 

"None of you is bold enough to draw his attention to the fact that his refusal to restore subvention to AAU and constitute a governing council can negatively affect his party in the forthcoming election. While they cannot talk to him to do the needful, they want everyone to shut up.

"There are no workers in schools and in the civil service. He refused to employ workers. He only employed few teachers that he calls Edostars. They are not in Edo state career employment. Although they are graduates, he put them on a miserable salary scale of #38,000 per month. Even at that, the schools and offices are starved of staff. Communities now employ teachers for the schools in their localities.

The minimum wage is therefore meant for very few people that presently constitute the workforce of the state. Obaseki is wicked."