UNIMAID says no VC, SSANU chairman altercation over CONTAA

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By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

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University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in Borno State has denied social media reports claiming that there was an altercation that erupted between the Vice- Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Laminu Mele and the Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) during a meeting over alleged unpaid Consolidated Non-Tertiary Academic Allowance (CONTAA) entitlements.

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This was contained in a press statement signed by the varsity’s Public Relations Officer, Amina Abdullahi, on Friday.

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The statement reads: “The attention of the Management of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) has been drawn to a highly malicious, baseless, and entirely fabricated report circulating on a Facebook page named: Non-Teaching Staff of Nigeria FTI.

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“The defamatory post falsely claims that there was a clash and exchange of words between the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Laminu Mele, and the Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), UNIMAID Chapter, purportedly resulting in the Vice-Chancellor ordering security to remove the Chairman from a conference room over alleged unpaid CONTAA entitlements.

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“The University Management wishes to state categorically that this report is completely untrue, unfounded, and a mere figment of the publisher’s imagination. At no point did any such meeting, altercation, or security intervention take place between the Vice-Chancellor and the SSANU Chairman UNIMAID,” Abdullahi said.

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She noted that the present UNIMAID administration maintains a highly cordial, respectful, and open-door relationship with all staff unions, including SSANU.

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“Issues regarding staff welfare and entitlements are consistently handled through civilized, formal, and established administrative channels, characterized by mutual respect and dialogue-never through
confrontation.

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“This fake news is clearly a calculated attempt by mischief-makers to sow seeds of discord, disrupt the peaceful industrial harmony currently enjoyed on our campus.

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“We, therefore, urge all staff, students, stakeholders and the public to completely disregard this fake news. We also advise the administrators of the Non-Teaching Staff of Nigeria FTI Facebook page and other purveyors of misinformation to desist from spreading unverified and defamatory content, as the University will not hesitate to take necessary legal and disciplinary actions against anyone found culpable of attempting to breach the peace of the institution.

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“The University of Maiduguri remains deeply committed to the welfare of its staff and the maintenance of a peaceful academic and administrative environment,” Abdullahi explained.

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