ASUU Strike: UNIBEN Staff Commits Suicide

A member of staff of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prince Carter Oshodin, on Friday committed suicide over his dire financial situation.

The deceased, who was a data entry personnel at the university, had not been paid his salary for months due to the strike action embarked by university unions.

According to Punch, the Non-Academic staff Union, to which Oshodin belonged, had called off its strike recently, but the members had yet to be paid their salaries.

A professor at the University, who would not want his name mentioned due to the emotional nature of the case, lamented the disheartening situation of striking lecturers since its union began the industrial action.

He also wondered why those who called off their strike are still not been paid by the government.

He said; “Yes, he is our staff that killed himself due to lack of money. Even some months ago, he was quoted to have been advising people on coping strategies and yet he took his life which has put his family in a bigger problem.

We have been no dime since we went on strike. This is the 10th of September, and the non-academic staff that has since resumed have not been paid anything. Boko Haram! No to Western Education.”

Another colleague simply known Edwards said the deceased on his Facebook lamented that he could not meet his financial needs and was finding it increasingly difficult to pay his two daughters’ school fees!