A staff member of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) identified as Prince Carter Oshodin committed suicide on Friday in Umelu Community in Upper Sakponba over alleged unfavourable financial conditions.
It was alleged that Oshodin had not been paid salaries for months due to the strike action embarked upon by university unions. He was a data entry personnel at the university.
A professor in UNIBEN, who did not want his name mentioned, said, yesterday, that it is disheartening that they had not been paid since the strike action began. He wondered why those who called off their strike were still not been paid by government.
He said, “Yes he was our staff, he killed himself due to lack of money. Even some months ago, he was quoted to have been advising people on coping strategies and yet took his life which has put his family in a bigger problem.
“We have been paid no dime since we went on strike. This is the 10th of September, the non-academic staff members that have since resumed have not been paid anything.”
Another colleague simply known as Edward said Oshodin on his Facebook page lamented that he could not meet his financial commitments and was finding it increasingly difficult to pay his two daughters’ school fees.
He said: “He committed suicide on Friday and according to a post on his Facebook, he said he was facing financial difficulties and could not pay the school fees of his two young daughters. It is a pathetic situation.”
Edo State Command Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said the matter was not reported to the police but the DPO of the area went to the community for an on-the-spot assessment where the community head confirmed the incident.
THE outgoing Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, UNIBEN, Professor Osayuki Oshodin, has said no fewer than 4,000 persons were employed by his administration in the past five years.
No comments:
Post a Comment