By SIMON EBEGBULEM
THE management of the University of Benin, UNIBEN, weekend, described as “political,” the protest embarked upon by members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANU, over payment of hazard allowances.

The management insisted that contrary to the allegation by the unions, that the Federal Government had paid the money to the management of the university, the money has not been paid to “any university” in the country, regretting that some union leaders were being used by some unknown persons with a view to discrediting the management of the university led by Prof. Osayuki Oshodin and to cause disaffection in the university.

It will be recalled that the NASU and SSANU members had last week, locked up the school gate for several hours, protesting the non-payment of the hazard allowance by the management of the university.

But addressing newsmen, weekend, on the issue, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof  Oshodin, who described the protest as shocking since over 70 percent of the union members are not even entitled to the hazard allowance, described the motive of the protest as “very suspicious.”

While displaying the list of persons qualified for the hazard allowance to newsmen, Vanguard observed that the majority of the two unions were actually not entitled to the hazard allowance but mainly for members of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

Explaining how he was locked outside the gate by the protesting union members and their threat to stop the forthcoming NUGA games if the allowance was not paid, Prof.Oshodin, explained that “in the first instance, request for payment of arrears of hazard allowance to all their members is in itself fraudulent because only certain categories of workers are entitled to this allowance.

“For the avoidance of doubt, only workers who operate in laboratories, workshops and clinics are entitled to this allowance. More importantly, the Federal Government has not released any money to any university in Nigeria, including University of Benin, to pay hazard allowance to its workers” he stated.