Research institute staff on strike over unpaid allowances

Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) of the National Root Crops Research Institute, (NRCRI) Umudike, Abia State, yesterday embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid allowances totalling N280 million.

Our correspondent reports that the main entrance to the institution was locked, shutting out staff. Addressing the workers, chairman of the union, Comrade Obi Nwakaego, said apart from unpaid allowances, there is a 20 per cent deduction from their salaries.

The NRCRI branch secretary of NASU, Comrade Israel Ifeanyi, said they have been having issues with the Executive Director, Dr Julius Okonkwo, and management of the institute.

“The executive director stopped our allowances, saying he was directed by NRCN to do so. The union asked him to show them the memo which asked him to stop the payment and he said it was conveyed to him through text message. The money he has withheld is now about N280 million”, Comrade Ifeanyi said.

Ifeanyi added, “the executive director claimed to have paid the money into the federation account, but our findings show that he did not pay anything into that account”.