By Patrick Obia
Former Special Adviser on Budget to ex-Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, Mr. Otu Otu Ita, has accused some staff members of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) of working against the institution’s former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Austine Angba, despite his efforts to improve staff welfare.
The SA made the assertion while reacting to an ongoing debate involving Inyali Peter and Joe Otu over the challenges facing the university.
Recall that UNICROSS had on November 2, 2026, resumed its suspended indefinite strike over the state government’s failed promises and unpaid salaries.
Mr. Otu, reflecting on his experience during the Ayade administration as budget adviser, said that some staff members currently expressing dissatisfaction with the university’s situation were allegedly among those who opposed Professor Angba during his tenure as Vice-Chancellor.
He said Prof. Angba was committed to improving staff welfare and repeatedly approached the state government to increase the university’s monthly subvention to enable it to meet its obligations.
According to Ita, when efforts to convince the Ayade administration to increase the institution’s funding proved unsuccessful, Prof. Angba approached him to intervene, using the university’s budget implementation reports to support the request.
However, while efforts were being made to secure improved funding for the institution, some staff members were lobbying the government against the former Vice-Chancellor, he said.
“Angba was genuinely committed to improving staff welfare, but sadly, his efforts were not always appreciated,” Ita stated.
He said some members of staff contributed to Angba’s removal from office, expressing the belief that some of them might now be regretting their actions.
ALSO: Governor Ayade Appoints Prof. Angba As Third Acting VC Of CRUTECH
“In all honesty, some of them owe Prof. Angba an apology. Sometimes, we only appreciate what we had after losing it. This is clearly a case of jumping from the frying pan into the fire,” he said.
The former budget SA, however, expressed hope that the challenges currently confronting UNICROSS would be addressed in the interest of the institution, its workforce and students.
His comments gives insight to the internal crisis rocking the university’s leadership, funding and staff welfare.
Meanwhile, the President of UNICROSS Alumni Dr. Iyanli Peter in a post shared on his official Facebook page, questioned the log head between the school management, the state government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNICROSS chapter.
He enjoined ASUU to reconsider her indefinite strike. His comment below:
So that my position is not misconstrued as a defence of the government or university management, I want to make the following clarifications:
1. I have been one of the most vocal advocates for better funding of UNICROSS and improved welfare for its staff. However, I am beginning to see the ongoing strike as less about the welfare of workers and more about the ego and personal interests of some internal ASUU veterans who appear determined to bring the Cross River State Government and university management to their knees unless they are allowed to take charge of the institution. Some have openly declared that government and management must come and lobby them before there can be peace.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: Prof. Augustine Angba Emerges CRUTECH Vice Chancellor 18 Months After
2. There are also circumstances surrounding the timing of the strike that are questionable. ASUU-UNICROSS declared its strike on the very day the Governor was celebrating his third anniversary in office. On another occasion, the Union declared a strike on the day the Governor was hosting a presidential rally that attracted prominent personalities to the state. These were not ordinary days in the state’s calendar, and the timing naturally raises questions about the considerations behind those decisions. In both occasions, there were engagements and some understanding between the unions and government.
3. More importantly, before the recent strike was declared, the government, through the Office of the Accountant-General, had written to convey the Governor’s approval for the implementation of the new agreement. However, the letter indicated that implementation was being held up because an officer of the university had failed to supply the necessary documents required to commence the process as agreed. This is an important detail because it shows that the government had taken steps towards resolving the issue, even if the process encountered administrative bottlenecks.
4. There is also the unresolved legal dispute involving one of the prominent ASUU veterans, who is still in court challenging the appointment of the current Vice Chancellor. While that is a matter for the courts to determine, it adds another dimension to the internal disagreements within the university. It is therefore difficult to ignore the possibility that longstanding disagreements and personal interests have become intertwined with the legitimate demands of academic staff.
READ MORE: JUST IN: UNICROSS Vice Chancellor, Augustine Angba Suspended
5. The strike was initially declared over the non-implementation of CATA. In response, the government constituted a committee whose recommendations have now been implemented. I acknowledge that the implementation is still ongoing and that some staff may not have received their salaries due to the adjustments being made and the personnel audit conducted by the technical committee. However, for those who have received their salaries, the CATA component has been included.
6. What is missing, and what some staff are describing as a shortfall, is the Earned Academic Allowance component, which the university is expected to contribute. This amounts to 10 per cent of their total salary. Unfortunately, the university is currently unable to meet this obligation because the ongoing strike has crippled its revenue generation sources.
7. At the last ASUU Congress, held two days ago, they decided to continue the strike, largely over one of the agreements concerning the democratization of the appointment of Heads of Departments (HODs). Interestingly, the Union’s National Executive Council (NEC) has already provided guidelines for implementing this part of the agreement (see the marked resolution attached). Rather than follow the directive of its own NEC, the local leadership appears determined to sustain the strike and hold the entire university to ransom.
8. The original issues were CATA and CONTA, both of which the government has addressed through the implementation process. Meanwhile, other universities where implementation has either stalled or not commenced are still running their academic activities. UNICROSS remains shut, not primarily over the original welfare concerns, but over disagreements surrounding the appointment of HODs, as the last congress suggests.
9. But both the ASUU Chairman and some members of his executive wanted to be appointed, rather than elected, as HODs. So, what then is the principle of democratization they claim to be defending? If they have been appointed, would they have still gone on strike?
READ FURTHER: Court Reinstates Sacked Austine Angba as UNICROSS VC
10. So, who exactly is deceiving whom? And at what point did the welfare of university staff become secondary to a struggle over who controls administrative positions?
An insider in the school, Dr. Joe Otu, accused Iyanli Peter of siding with the management and the government while ignoring the issues raised by the lecturers. His reaction below:
1. Dear Iyali Peter, I will like you to state the “hidden biased intentions” because for me, all that concerns me is the welfare of staff and the implementation of signed agreement. I am not interested in dirty politics. This is a public space, and I wouldn’t like us to misinform the public. Besides, you are my friend. We signed an agreement with Council before the strike was suspended on the 21st of July, 2026. The Government through Council requested for 3 months to address the various items in the agreement, including the implementation of the nonfinancial component of the FG-ASUU 2025 Agreement. Management, Council and Government had 3 months, as requested by the Visitor, to change whatever laws that were needed to be changed. So, why wasn’t it done within the time agreed? Again, the University Council has directed Management to implement the nonfinancial component of the same agreement in this session. ASUU has the letter. So, why is Management flouting this directive? In the same law that you are using as excuse, it is stated that appointment of HODs should be by seniority. Is this the case in our university?
2. As we speak nobody is talking about arrears of promotion and arrears of the new agreement. Since I became a staff in 2016, I have never been paid promotion arrears running into millions.
3. You said Government has released subvention for September but Management can’t pay because we have not allowed students to be in school to pay school fees for the additional to be generated. This isn’t correct. It was only last week that we resumed the suspended strike due to obvious reasons. We worked throughout September and October without salaries. Are you aware that it took strike for us to be paid Minimum Wage even after months of implementation at the state level. Is that fairness? Nobody is talking about the arrears o!
4. You said it is the first time government is taking over the payment of “full” salaries of the university since Donald Duke’s era. You also said the shortfull of October salary is the EAA that should be handled by the university’s Management. How does this amounts to payment of full salary? It is government responsibility to pay her workers, and how that will be done is strictly government’s business. The government of Cross River State is the proprietor of UNICROSS, and as far as I know, October salary has not been fully paid. Some staff haven’t collected the half payment as at today while others were not even paid their former basic salary without the new salary scale. What do you call this? All we want is correct pay and as at when due. Is that too much to ask?
4. About ASUU NEC’s resolution, are you aware that all branches of ASUU have been directed to down tools if the FG-ASUU 2025 Agreement is not implemented in their universities? And also stay at home if salary isn’t paid on or before 3rd of a new month. We have never invoked this directive in UNICROSS. Still, we don’t like government or management. Please, stop painting us black.
5. Examples of universities on strike based on this issue include: Taraba State University, Imo State University, Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Education, Lagos State University of Science and Technology, University of Port Harcourt, etc.
6. Examples of universities that have commenced implementation are University of Uyo, University of Jos, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo university, Osun State University, Ekiti State University, Benue State University, Sokoto State University, Kaduna State University, etc.
6. Again, let me reiterate, the university belongs to the state government, if they want it to flourish, they know what to do. Staff of UNICROSS have suffered for far too long. Even the Visitor acknowledges this. When agreements are reached, they should be respected. We are not second class Cross Riverians. We deserve to be treated fairly.
7. Let me conclude by stating that these are strictly my opinions, and not the position of ASUU, UNICROSS. No further comments.
Short Link:
Leave feedback about this