Ondo University Faces Collapse, ASUU Warns Gov. Aiyedatiwa
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) branch, has raised the alarm over what it described as the imminent collapse of the institution due to years of neglect and underfunding.
Addressing journalists on Friday in Akure, the ASUU branch chairperson, Comrade Boluwaji Oshodi, appealed to Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to urgently rescue the university before the situation degenerates further.
According to Oshodi, staff of the institution are being owed salaries, while infrastructure in the university has deteriorated badly, leaving both workers and students frustrated.
He accused successive administrations of abandoning the school, particularly in the last six years, despite repeated appeals through letters and meetings with government officials.
The union leader expressed concern that while another state-owned tertiary institution had benefitted from special financial interventions running into billions of naira, AAUA had been left out.
“The AAUA has been neglected for too long. It is on record that a sister tertiary institution in this state has received financial interventions on more than two occasions. The Rotimi Akeredolu government gave the institution N850 million, while the present governor has also given the same institution two interventions of N850 million and N897 million, making a total of N2.597 billion. But what has AAUA received? Nothing,” Oshodi lamented.
He stressed that AAUA has been well-managed over the years, with prudent financial practices and dedicated staff, yet the institution is suffering undue hardship.
“With the financial prudence and result-oriented management displayed in the last seven years, coupled with the sacrifices of our academic staff, it is unfortunate that workers are still being owed salaries. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander,” he said.
ASUU therefore urged the Ondo State Government to urgently release special intervention funds to offset outstanding salaries and allowances, as well as increase the university’s monthly subvention to match its wage bill of over N500 million.
The union also called for immediate support to address infrastructural decay and improve staff welfare in order to avert a full-blown crisis.
“As things stand, AAUA is gradually heading for collapse unless the state government takes urgent steps. We cannot allow a university of this stature to die of neglect,” Oshodi warned.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
