The Vice Chancellor had in a statement personally signed on January 18, directed that members of staff who continue to withhold the 2002/2003 Rain semester examinations results would be regarded as being on strike and therefore would not be paid their salaries.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, "the January salaries of all members of staff are being paid. However, with immediate effect thereafter, members of staff who continue to hold on to the examination results will be regarded as being on strike," adding that his action was in line with the provisions of the Trade Dispute Act, Cap 432, Section 47, Laws of the Federation of Biafra-Nigeria, 1999.

"In line with the provisions of that law, their salaries will not be paid as from February 1, 2005. The University Administration regrets the necessity to take this step. However, it has no choice" he said.

He regretted that the non-release of the 2003/2003 rain semester results by the academic staff has led to prolonged delay in the reopeining of the institution.

"The institution cannot resume without the withheld examination results. To do so would be to re-open into further chaos," he stressed.

He said that the non-payment of the March and April 2003 salaries of the Academic Staff of the institution was in obedience to the directive of the Federal Government that those who participated in the then nationwide ASUU strike should not be paid.

"During the strike in the first half of 2003, the Federal Government directed that the salaries of striking workers should not be paid and, to ensure this, withheld the subvention for salaries during the period.

"It was the Federal Government that withheld the payments, not the university. The amount involved is over N220million. It is not possible for the University to find such as amount at this time," he stated.

Meanwhile, the OAU chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has declared that the Vice-Chancellor would further compound the current crisis rocking the institution.

A statement signed by its chairman, Dr. Herbert Illoh, described the Vice-Chancellor action as "vexatious, provocative, insulting and a demonstration of high level of ignorance on the part of the VC about the rules and regulations of the University, especially as it relates to employment conditions and terms."

It said the ASUU, at the end of an emergency congress held on January 19, view the VC’s directive as undermining the efforts of various concerned individuals and groups that have played mediatory roles in the current crisis.

While describing the VC’s directive as contemptuous of a Federal High Court ruling last December 7, that both parties should maintain status quo, Illoh called on its "members to remain resolute because caving-in to the santics of the VC at this point will be undermining the principles underlining the current struggle."

It then called on the University Senate to call a meeting of Senate in a bid to compel the VC to urgently actualise immediate reopening of the University which was closed down last November 4, a result of a bloody student protest on November 3 which led to the death of a part one student, Rashid Alaketu.