Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Stakeholders of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, have expressed drastic concerns over the institution management’s style of governance, condemning its recent press release for failing to address the most pressing issues confronting staff including unpaid salaries despite the release of a N1 billion bailout fund by the Edo State Government.
The University’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Mike Ade Aladenika had, in an earlier issued a statement, dismissed reports of mismanagement and defending the Vice-Chancellor’s leadership.
However, stakeholders argue that the statement sidestepped the fundamental issues of governance, including the question about why arrears of salaries remained unpaid more than a month after Governor Monday Okpebholo approved and released bailout funds to stabilize the institution.
According to Dr. Ebhodaghe Mathew who signed a press statement on behalf of stakeholders, the University’s explanation and excuse of “technical delays” on the Remita platform were responsible for the non-payment of March salaries is unfounded and unacceptable.
He noted that Remita is the same platform used nationwide to pay public servants without disruption, making the excuse untenable.
The stakeholders criticized the University Management for what they described as ingratitude toward the gesture and positive disposition of the Edo State Government to the University.
“The bailout was intended to ease the financial burden on staff and restore confidence in the institution.
“Instead of acknowledging this intervention and ensuring prompt disbursement, the Management has chosen to deflect attention with generalized denials,” Dr. Mathew said.
“And rather than address herself to the fundamental challenge of university governance and staff welfare, the Vice Chancellor has decided to encourage the descent of the university into a cheap ethnic manipulation and theatre as typified in statement by one ethnic gigoist, Aaron Abiebhode”, the statement added.
“A Vice Chancellor that does promptly treat official mails to the extent that there still official mails of last year that have not been attended to!” the statement exclaimed.
The stakeholders maintained that failure to pay salaries, despite receiving bailout funds, has left staff not only demoralized but also raised questions about transparency in the University’s financial administration.
Stakeholders insist that the credibility of AAU cannot be restored through public relations rhetoric but through concrete action that prioritizes staff welfare and proper university governance
As the Easter season symbolizes renewal and hope, stakeholders lamented that University staff were left without their entitlements during a period meant for celebration.
They emphasized that the University Management’s actions amount not only to a betrayal of trust but also to a systematic demarketing of the government of His Excellency Senator Monday Okpebholo, who has consistently demonstrated commitment to repositioning the University through infrastructural development and timely release of funds when the need arises.
Stakeholders therefore call on the Vice-Chancellor and her team to provide a transparent account of the bailout funds and immediately resolve salary arrears to restore trust and stability within the institution.
But responding, the University’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Mike Ade Aladenika, said that the t is important to state unequivocally that the N1 billion bailout fund released by the Edo State Government is not a magic wand that automatically translates into instant salary payments.
He said public finance, especially within government-owned institutions, is governed by strict procedures, audit trails, and compliance mechanisms that cannot be bypassed for expediency without risking serious infractions.
Mr. Aladenika added that the attempt to dismiss the explanation regarding technical delays on the Remita platform betrays either a lack of understanding of modern financial systems or a willful attempt to mislead the public.
He maintained that while Remita is indeed widely used, it is not immune to delays arising from institutional peculiarities, verification processes, and integration issues specific to each organization.
The University image maker stressed further that it is therefore simplistic and inaccurate to suggest that because Remita works seamlessly elsewhere, it must automatically function without hitches in all circumstances.
He urged that such a blanket assertion ignores the complexities of payroll migration, account validation, and compliance checks that often accompany large-scale disbursements in public institutions.
