By Ibrahim Abdul
Amid the current economic crunch and the ravages of the novel coronavirus pandemic being experienced across globe, the American University of Nigeria, AUN, based in Yola, Adamawa State, reportedly sacked over 100 staff.
Multiple sources say that the affected staff include security men, auxillary staff, administration and staff of other departments.
This is the second time within a week that an institution owned by Nigeria’s former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is sacking staff.
It also came three days after Gotel Communications, another company of the former VP, sacked 54 staff members on Workers’ Day, May 1.
No, there is apprehension in Atiku’s business empire as his workers have become unsure of where the hammer would land next.
“There is apprehension everywhere,” one of the sacked workers told our correspondent on Tuesday. “Nothing has been at ease in AUN since yesterday (Monday) when over 100 staff were served with sack letters.
“It’s unfortunate and the timing is very wrong. This is a trying period, globally, and governments and organisations everywhere are doing their best to help their workers wade through the coronavirus pandemic. We didn’t expect this at all.”
The sack letters signed by the AUN’s president, Dawn Dekle, stated that the institution no longer needs the services of the affected staff.
In a statement, the institution’s Vice President, University Relations, Mr. Abubakar Abba Tahir, said the action was part of its efforts at restructuring for sustainability.
The statement said: “It would not be realistic for AUN to continue to anchor its administrative structure on an over-bloated personnel whose role do not have significant effect on the philosophy of a development university.
“In the emerging sustainable structure, competitive personnel are being retained, while others released honourably. All those affected are being paid all their contractual benefits at the point of clearance, to carry on with their lives.”
Please read the full text below:
AUN PRESS RELEASE:
RESTRUCTURING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
1. Certain structural elements have been initiated by the new Governing Council of American University of Nigeria (AUN), in response to NUC requirements, mandating the institution to align with an approved governance structure for all tertiary institutions operating in the country.
2. Until now, AUN has operated a student-staff ratio which balance had continued to affect the sustainability of the university.
- This is clearly an uncommon and hardly workable tradition in all institutions and organizations around the world. Obviously it is unattainable.
4. Thus, consequent upon the university’s new Governing Council vote to restructure the institution in line with its agenda for sustainability, a process of workforce rationalization has been in the pipeline.
5. It is now time for the university to look back, look around and look ahead, to ensure that realistic and globally competitive administrative practices can be achieved in structure, strategy and focus.
6. It would not be realistic for AUN to continue to anchor its administrative structure on an over-bloated personnel whose role do not have significant effect on the philosophy of a development university.
7. In the emerging sustainable structure competitive personnel are being retained, while others released honorably. All those affected are being paid all their contractual benefits at the point of clearance, to carry on with their lives.
8. As a typical American style institution, AUN deliberately trains its students to search for sustainable solutions to human development challenges.
9. Students are deliberately armed with lifelong skills and competencies to develop sustainable solutions to the myriad of challenges faced by society.
10. The challenge posed by the unsustainable redundancies in AUN’s operational structure for the university is one that needed to be addressed ever since.
Abu Bakar Abba Tahir
Vice President for University Relations
American University of Nigeria
