UNIBEN Denies ‘Half-Salary’ Claims

The management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has firmly rejected recent claims suggesting that academic staff were paid only half of their monthly salaries, describing the allegations as "patently false" and a gross distortion of the facts. The strong rebuttal comes in the wake of a brief but tense industrial action that threatened to disrupt the institution's academic calendar.

The clarification follows an indefinite strike initiated by the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on September 9, 2026, over a contentious pay dispute. The strike, which had already begun to create anxiety among students and parents regarding the continuity of the semester, was officially suspended on Thursday. This resolution was achieved after the university management provided concrete, written commitments to resolve the lingering remuneration discrepancies.

Central to the agreement was the management’s explicit pledge to fully disburse the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) component for the months of June, July, and August no later than September 18, 2026. The EAA, which compensates lecturers for extra duties such as examination invigilation, continuous assessment marking, and departmental administration, has historically been a flashpoint in Nigerian university labor relations. This commitment provided the necessary assurance for the union to halt the industrial action and return to a collaborative dialogue.

In a detailed statement issued on Friday to clear the air, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Benedicta Ehanire, addressed the controversy head-on. She clarified that full base salaries were indeed paid in August, consistent with the university’s track record in previous months. This timely disbursement was made possible only after the Federal Government issued the requisite payment warrant, enabling the university to process payments for all staff categories before the end of the month.

Ehanire further explained the complexities surrounding the payment structure, noting that the confusion likely stemmed from a fundamental misunderstanding of the different components of academic remuneration. She stated that during a critical meeting between the university management and the local ASUU executive, clear distinctions were drawn between base salaries and various statutory allowances. 

The PRO emphasized that union leaders were thoroughly briefed on the tax implications and administrative procedures associated with combining these distinct emoluments into a single disbursement. She affirmed that the Federal Government’s portion of the allowances for academic staff, which had experienced a slight delay due to the initial non-release of a warrant, was subsequently paid in full. This aligns with the standard payment warrants released to tertiary institutions nationwide.

Additionally, Ehanire confirmed that the University Governing Council’s portion of the allowances, which is due to specific categories of academic staff, has also been fully disbursed. This payment was executed only following a rigorous and necessary verification process to ensure transparency and guarantee that only entitled personnel received the funds.

This episode highlights the perennial challenges surrounding remuneration in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. While the Federal Government controls the base salary and a portion of the allowances, university governing councils are often responsible for supplementary payments. Delays in federal warrants or bottlenecks in local verification processes can easily create a perception of underpayment, even when the institution is acting in strict compliance with federal directives.

As the September 18 deadline for the full settlement of the Earned Academic Allowance approaches, stakeholders are watching closely to ensure the management honors its commitment. For now, the suspension of the strike offers a much-needed reprieve for the university community, underscoring the critical need for proactive, transparent communication between university administrations and labor unions to prevent minor administrative delays from escalating into full-blown industrial crises.