UNIJOS not owing cleaners 9 months salaries – Official

The Management of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) has denied speculations that it owes cleaners nine months’ salary arrears.

The Senior Deputy Registrar, Information and Publications of the university, Mr Abdullahi Abdullahi,  rebutted the allegation in a statement on Saturday in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that students of the institution recently staged a two-day peaceful protest over the poor sanitary conditions of their hostels.

The students, who shut down academic activities within the university’s permanent site and main campus, alleged non-payment of the salaries of cleaners in the institution.

However, Abdullahi said that the university management had been working to address the issue of delayed cleaning services, which, according to him,  had caused great discomfort in the living conditions of the students.

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He maintained that the protest by students was due to inaccurate information regarding the university’s efforts to address the situation.

“Following the protest, the university management immediately convened a meeting with the students, and they were presented with comprehensive details of the issues in contention.

“This is done in order to dispel prior misconceptions and contrary to information in some quarters, no cleaning contractor was being owed nine months of unpaid claims.

“Rather, in spite of the limited resources, the university has cumulatively successfully cleared about five months of outstanding payments.

“However, the delay in crediting some of the cleaning contractors resulted from some procedural aspects inherent in financial transactions of this nature.

“It is not due to a neglect of obligations by the university management,” he said.

Abdullahi, however, explained that contractual payments were usually processed only after the completion of the agreed work and not before.

According to him, such a move aligns with the standard operational protocols.

“Therefore, contractors who had undertaken not to work within the period under review should not expect payment,” he added.

Abdullahi further said that the management had approved the renovation of some dilapidated hostels and regular evacuation of waste to improve the sanitary conditions within the hostels.

He also commended the students for conducting themselves peacefully during the protest and for their willingness to resort to dialogue. (NAN)