By Ayodele Oni
Things are falling apart at the Ekiti state University, Ado Ekiti.
The workers are crying over unpaid salaries for close to a year as a result of poor funding.
The institution, solely owned by the Ekiti state government, may be sitting on a keg of gun powder, according to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) of the institution.
In a statement released on Wednesday, ASUU lamented the poor attention of the Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof Bamitale Omole, and the state government to the various crisis ravaging the University.
The statement, signed by the Chairman of ASUU, Mr Kayode Arogundade, and the Secretary , Mr Ogunwale noted that nothing has been done to improve the financial situation of the University, saying the institution is now back to the era of payment of amputated salaries for an upward of 12 months, and still counting.
“We are demanding explanation from the Chairman of Council, Prof. Tale Omole, and the Visitor, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, both of whom we assume to be renowned academics, and whom we think should have a better understanding of the workings of the University system, on why they have continuously ignored the suffering and inhuman conditions of the staff of EKSU.
“It is important to note that in spite of several meetings that the union had with the Visitor, nothing tangible has been done about the situation on ground, even when he has promised and assured us on several occasions that he would increase the monthly subvention to the University.
“Rather than consolidate the development of the University; which he promised to make a world class, he went ahead to establish a College of Agriculture in his home town, despite his frequent claims of paucity of funds in the state; this we believe, is tantamount to hypocrisy and insincerity.
“We wish to use this medium to call on well meaning citizens of Ekiti State to appeal to the visitor and the chairman of council to tow the path of honour and look for means of giving adequate financial supports to the University.
“Education is the major industry in Ekiti State (Fountain of Knowledge and Land of Honour), and her only University should be a model to other Universities in Nigeria.
“Our members have over this period endured denials and hardships arising from the failure of University in paying our entitlements.”
ASUU pointed out that instead of Professor Omole to address the crisis staring him in the face, he went ahead to the media to paint a picture that suggest that all is well in the institution.
Tracing the problem of the institution to the regime of the immediate past administration, the union revealed that it is not a secret that EKSU was poorly funded under Ayodele Fayose, who released only six months subventions for a whole year of 12 calendar months.
“The university had consistently deducted Tax (PAYE) from our salaries without remitting such to the Internal Revenue Services thus preventing our members from obtaining tax Clearance from the Inland Revenue Services. This has no doubt put our members in precarious situations.
“It is disheartening that the Chairman of council, instead of attracting funds to the university has chosen to deliberately ignore the call to unveil the masquerades behind a celebrated Fraud (a.k.a Portal Fraud) in EKSU.
“If a university as poorly funded as ours, is defrauded of a humongous sum and the Chairman of Council, who is in possession of reports of investigations into the case continues to chase shadows, while the perpetrators appear to be untouchable, then the credibility of his leadership is questionable,” the Union added
