Learning and classes have been put to hold after Lecturers at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), staged a protest within the school Campus over the non-payment of their 25% minimum wage allowance.
The aggrieved educators from various departments in the institution, who are involved in the strike, also demanded their unpaid allowances and other numerous benefits after the management refused to meet their demands, despite months of pleading with the administrative heads.
The protest which affected teaching and other important activities across the institute, saw the lecturers chanting solidarity songs and carrying leaves to express their grievances while urging the management to address their long lasting request.
During the demonstration, which took place on Monday, the staffs, along with other students, marched from the university’s Administrative block to the Senate chambers, waving placards that highlighted their demands as they sought to draw attention to their plight and push for a swift resolution to the ongoing dispute over unpaid allowances and benefits.
Aside from demanding for an address to the issues, the demonstrators also criticized the government’s decision to appoint acting vice chancellors instead of a substantive one from the University pool of professors.
The guild press gathered that the protest came barely 48 hours after the Governor of Cross River State appointed Professor Francisca Bassey, a professor from the University of calabar as the acting Vice Chancellor of the university.
Speaking in an interview, a lecturer from the department of mathematics and statistics, who pleaded not to be mentioned disclosed that University workers are demanding compensation benefits which has been pending for several days.
“We are staging this protest because we have not been paid our allowance, our money, new minimum wage, and other benefits.
“They play politics too much, the Governor’s keep appointing acting Vice chancellors instead of a Substantive vice Chancellor from this university, we are tired they should pay us.”
Meanwhile, Calls put across to the university registrar Victor Ene for comments proved abortive.