Ekiti Varsity ASUU Invades Council Meeting As Concerned Parents Flay Underfunding

By Ayodele Oni

An Attempt by members of the Academic Staff Union, (ASUU) Ekiti State University chapter to storm the meeting of the Governing Council, to table their demands was stopped by security agents.

The Council was having its meeting when the ASUU members mobilized and invaded the venue.

This is coming just as some aggrieved parents of students at the university rose and condemned the failure of the State Government to adequately fund the institution, which has led to incessant strike by Unions.

Among demands by ASUU are restoration of monthly subvention of the university to its initial rate of N260 million naira by the state government, and Governing Council failure to take necessary action on the issue of alleged portal fraud perpetrated by some staff.

ASUU representatives told Journalists that the State  Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has been given two weeks ultimatum to restore the full subvention or they would shut down the campus.

Chairman of ASUU, EKSU chapter, Dr Kayode Arogundade, said Government was yet to fulfil its promise after the expiration of three months, saying the refusal has subjected workers to hardship as Management could no longer meet up with payment of salaries and deductions.

He said the Institution was owing about 14 months cooperative deductions, 26 months pension deductions, arrears of salaries and bonuses.

He pointed out that Ekiti State Government has been receiving its monthly Subventions as at when due with a significant increase since April this year, but failed to meet demands of the university.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Edward Olanipekun during a news conference, said ASUU members were prevented from entering venue of the meeting of the Council because their action did not follow due process.

Prof Olanipekun condemned the action of the ASUU members, saying the Council had actually deliberated over their petition and would do everything possible to ensure that their agitations were attended to.

The concerned parents in a statement in Ado Ekiti stated that “The attention of concerned parents of EKSU- students have been drawn to various agitations, worries fear and state of hopelessness of lecturers and entire workers in the University over inability of the Management and Governing Council to meet their financial obligations to workers and other statutory commitments.

“It is very disappointing that the very first conventional Ekiti state owned University had been bedeviled with financial inadequacies, very unfortunate and saddening.

“We parents , who are not only stakeholders but majority of us who are members of the Alumni Association of the university for the fact that we finished our academic programme in the University are not happy with bad image the university is attracting in recent time.

“It is high time the Governing Council seek honest audience with the visitor to the university-Dr kayode  Fayemi to address and increase the issue of finances ( subversion) to EKSU.

“We concerned parents want to say it loud and clear that it will be a great disservice to humanity and future generations of Ekiti State for anybody to play politics with the future of Ekiti Youths. The Spirit of these students will not forgive the exploiters and the wicked.

“We are aware that majority of those in the saddle of governance in Ekiti State today enjoyed scholarship and grants of various types for their tertiary education . Why are they now heartless?”