A non academic staff of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prince Carter Oshodin, has reportedly committed suicide.
Oshodin, working at a Data Unit of the university, was said to have killed himself on Friday when he could cope with financial challenges caused by the prolonged industrial action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and non payment of his salaries for more than seven months.
Though the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) to which the deceased is a member has called off its strike recently but yet he has not been paid his salaries.
Speaking on the incident, a professor in the university, who preferred anonymity, described the incident as disheartening, saying workers have not been paid since the strike action began.
Wondering why workers in the non academic, who called off their strike are still not being paid by the government, 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 paid no dime since we went on strike. This is the 10th of September, the non academic staff that has since resumed have not been paid anything. Boko Haram! No to Western education.”
Also, another staff of the university simply identified as Edward said the late Oshodin on his Facebook page had lamented that he could not meet his financial and was finding it increasingly difficult to pay his two daughters’ school fees.
According to him: “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.”
