.ASUU says govt owe varsity N3.5b subvention arrears
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) branch have embarked on sit at home strike option to press home the regular payment of their salary.
Reason for the sit at home strike option which was based on a congress decision is as a result of irregularly payment of salary in the last 23 months by the state government and the inability of the lecturers to pay transport fare to work.
The sit at home action has crippled academic activities on campus including the on-going second semester examination and the students have been forced to vacate the campus.
The chairman of ASUU OOU, Dr. Deji Agboola disclosed that the Ogun state government is owing the university N3.5billion in subvention arrears stating ‘’the last time government subvention came was 23 months ago, Amosun administration is owing 15 months and Daniel former government owed eight months’’.
Dr. Agboola said the sit at home was the last resort as his members did not have money to come to work and further explained that OOU has no fund to pay regular salary as at when due because the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) is not enough.
According to him, the Vice Chancellor and Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Modupe Mujota appealed to members to suspend the sit at home strike but ASUU members insisted on the action until government meet their demands.
The ASUU OOU boss told Daily Sun emphatically that the main reason why lecturers embarked on the sit at home strike option is that the university does not have money to pay its workers and thus his members do not have transport fare to come to work.
He recalled that when in December 2015, ASUU members went on strike, the union led by its former President, Dr. Dipo Fashina met with Governor Ibikunle Amosun who promised to meet the demands of the lecturers and fund OOU.
Agboola further recollected that in June 11, 2011, Governor Amosun promised to provide N500million to the university management to kick start the development of OOU and that five years after, the fund has not been released.
‘’Last year, staff of OOU contributed 10 per cent of our allowance to complete an abandoned building project. Only one structure has been constructed in the university since Ogun state was created. During convocation, Governor Amosun commissioned projects funded by TEFUND, he stated’’.
He said despite the fact that the current administration in the state has attracted accolades for being one of the highest fund-generating states in the country, OOU has not been put into reckoning while pledge to execute capital projects was not redeemed.
On salary, Agboola disclosed that the position of ASUU OOU is that Ogun state government should pay the salaries of OOU staff in full rather than subventions which come in trickles and this has allowed government to shelve its obligations to its workers.
He said: ‘‘The Ogun state government has practically abdicated its funding responsibility to OOU and this has been going on for upward of 20 months. The situation at OOU has now reached a breaking point. The IGR, which was being diverted to pay salaries, dried up.’’
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) branch have embarked on sit at home strike option to press home the regular payment of their salary.
Reason for the sit at home strike option which was based on a congress decision is as a result of irregularly payment of salary in the last 23 months by the state government and the inability of the lecturers to pay transport fare to work.
The sit at home action has crippled academic activities on campus including the on-going second semester examination and the students have been forced to vacate the campus.
The chairman of ASUU OOU, Dr. Deji Agboola disclosed that the Ogun state government is owing the university N3.5billion in subvention arrears stating ‘’the last time government subvention came was 23 months ago, Amosun administration is owing 15 months and Daniel former government owed eight months’’.
Dr. Agboola said the sit at home was the last resort as his members did not have money to come to work and further explained that OOU has no fund to pay regular salary as at when due because the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) is not enough.
According to him, the Vice Chancellor and Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Modupe Mujota appealed to members to suspend the sit at home strike but ASUU members insisted on the action until government meet their demands.
The ASUU OOU boss told Daily Sun emphatically that the main reason why lecturers embarked on the sit at home strike option is that the university does not have money to pay its workers and thus his members do not have transport fare to come to work.
He recalled that when in December 2015, ASUU members went on strike, the union led by its former President, Dr. Dipo Fashina met with Governor Ibikunle Amosun who promised to meet the demands of the lecturers and fund OOU.
Agboola further recollected that in June 11, 2011, Governor Amosun promised to provide N500million to the university management to kick start the development of OOU and that five years after, the fund has not been released.
‘’Last year, staff of OOU contributed 10 per cent of our allowance to complete an abandoned building project. Only one structure has been constructed in the university since Ogun state was created. During convocation, Governor Amosun commissioned projects funded by TEFUND, he stated’’.
He said despite the fact that the current administration in the state has attracted accolades for being one of the highest fund-generating states in the country, OOU has not been put into reckoning while pledge to execute capital projects was not redeemed.
On salary, Agboola disclosed that the position of ASUU OOU is that Ogun state government should pay the salaries of OOU staff in full rather than subventions which come in trickles and this has allowed government to shelve its obligations to its workers.
He said: ‘‘The Ogun state government has practically abdicated its funding responsibility to OOU and this has been going on for upward of 20 months. The situation at OOU has now reached a breaking point. The IGR, which was being diverted to pay salaries, dried up.’’
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