ASUU asks for debate

The end may not have been heard on the ongoing crisis between the Academic Staff Union of University,ASUU, Olabisi Onabanjo University,OOU,Ago Iwoye and the Ogun State government as the Union has  told  the government to stop misinforming the public about the true situation of things at the institution.

The embittered striking lecturers have  even gone further to challenge the government to a debate on the claims that it has met all its obligations to OOU.

 The Union declared that it would not allow any government to intimidate or harass its members,  insisting that the institution should be “properly funded and not taken back to the dark ages.”

 It  also accused the present administration of abdicating its statutory responsibilities to the 33 years old state owned university.

Governor Amosun: ASUU of OOU says government not saying the truth

The state government had in a statement on Friday through the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Modupe Mujota, said it does not owe the academic staff salaries for 16 months.

 It also said the recent recognition of OOU by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the best state university in Nigeria punctured the notion that the state government had not done enough to revamp the institution.

 In its reaction on Saturday, the OOU – ASUU Chairman, Dr. Deji Agboola, dismissed the State Education Commissioner, Mrs Mujota’s position on the industrial action embarked upon by ASUU as one that reeks with “misinformation” and “falsehood.”

 He urged the visitor to the University, Senator Ibikunle Amosun or the Education Commissioner to tell the whole world how much was given to OOU in the last five years as salaries and allowances, either on a monthly basis or the totality of it.

 Agboola said, while ASUU is patiently waiting for the state government response to their posers, added that, “we want to make it abundantly clear that we can’t continue to pretend that all is well in OOU in the face of apparent and deliberate neglect by Amosun’s government.

 “We wish to make our position known on the Ogun State government press release about the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by our union at Olabisi Onabanjo University.

 “It is quite unfortunate that the State Government through its agent(s) could  misinform the members of the public that it has fulfilled all its expected obligations to the University, while denying the lack of discharge of its obligations.

“Not that the typical Nigerians political class is respected by the people for being adherents to the truth, but one would think that this falsehood would not be directed at the University system, and worse still, at ASUU-OOU.

 “For us, facts are sacred and as a body of intellectuals, we operate on proven assertions. In consequence, we shall be glad if the Ogun State government can sincerely respond to the following basic questions:

 “How much has Ogun State government under the administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, FCA, CON; given the University in the last five years, as salaries and allowances, either on a monthly basis or the totality of it?;

 “How much has the Ogun State government under his administration given the University as running costs (subvention)?;

“Which one of the ongoing projects in any of the campuses of the University can the State government point to as either been initiated or contributed to by his administration?;

 “Which publication of NUC in 2015 is Olabisi Onabanjo University rated as No. 1 State University in Nigeria? This is because an available record at NUC website of Universities ranking in Nigeria for 2015 sharply contradicts the Ogun State government’s assertion and we challenge the State government to show evidence of this.

 “Even though, we know that our worth at OOU is far better than the NUC rating, which incidentally is still a sad reflection of underfunding, it would be good if the State government stop denying as usual, its complicity in starvation of funds for staff and students value added services through diversion of fees for payment of salaries.

 “On the positive turn around of the University, what roles has the State government played, either financially or infrastructurally in bringing about the touted positive turn by his administration?

 “We expect government’s response to all these questions and we also hope that government, through his representatives, shall be willing to confront the Union in a public debate on these issues,” the Union disclosed.

 The state government had yesterday said in the statement that, “The government had always met its contractual obligations to the staff of the institution but would not be railroaded into executing a contract it did not enter into with the academic union.

 “We state categorically that we do not owe the teachers as alleged. They should provide any evidence of the contractual obligation the state government has breached with regard to their salaries and allowances.

 “On payment of Earned Academic Allowances being demanded by the lecturers, the state government denied ever entering into any such agreement with the union. It tasked the academic body to provide any proof to the contrary.

 “Education remains the first cardinal programme of the Amosun administration. This is the reason why the sector has always received the lion’s share of the state’s annual budget.

 “Government is committed to its policy of regular payment of salary in spite of the current financial challenges across the country,” the Education Commissioner stated in the statement.