Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA, chapter, said the neglect of the university in the last seven years without appropriate funding is disturbing.
Chairman of AAUA-ASUU, Dr Boluwaji Oshodi, said this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN), yesterday in Akure.
Oshodi explained that the Ondo State government had neglected the university for the past seven years without appropriate funding.
“If you get to AAUA campus today, you will be disappointed, even though it is a pioneer university in the state. Inadequate funding is the major problem.
“The normal thing is for the state government, which is the owner of the university, to make provisions for the institution and its staff.
“The access road is in a sorry state. The road to the place is an eyesore. What do you expect will be the state of the university if the access road is in a deplorable situation? It is very disgusting and annoying.
“If you go to the university now, the state government has not done any capital project for the past seven years.
“No building constructed in the last seven years. If you get there now, you will start seeing TETFUND buildings. The lecture rooms are in a sorry state, hostels, offices and others,” he stated.
According to the ASUU chairman, the university gets about N232 million as monthly subvention, while salaries alone gulp N555 million.
“You can calculate the amount that is being added from the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, from the institution to be able to pay the salaries alone.
“We are not talking about other things that the university caters for.
“Let me be factual and I am not making any excuse for anybody because government is a continuum.
“Late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu scored zero in terms of tertiary education management because it reduced the subvention of the university to a very funny amount.
“It has been bad but now it is terrible. The university has been in coma for 10 years because of inadequate funding,” he said.
Oshodi said ASUU members had withdrawn their services since August 28 due to non-payment of two-month salaries.
“Many issues are wrong in the university. We have dedicated lecturers and staff, but inadequate funding is treating them badly.
“We have been on strike since August 28 simply because of non-payment of our salaries and there are other issues that we are going to address during our press conference holding soon.
“Give us our salaries so that we can survive. It s an issue of survival now,” he said.
The ASUU chairman stated that all the requests of the union to have a meeting with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on the issues were not responded to.
Oshodi vowed that lecturers in the institution would truncate students resumption and the forthcoming convocation if their salaries are not paid.
“We have been patient and tolerant for long, but this time, we won’t be again. Our people have been pushed to the wall.
“We are not seeing any efforts that can signal that the state government is ready to do the right thing. We are resolute.
“The last examination was conducted on empty stomach. There is no rift between us and the school’s management, and we have good understanding with our students, they understand us.
“I doubt if there is a university in Nigeria that has dedicated lecturers like that of AAUA,” he said.
All efforts to get the reaction of the Commissioner for Education, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, proved abortive, as he did not pick several calls forwarded to him. (NAN)
