THE national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday said the Federal Government had erred in appointing the former Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, as the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The President of the Union, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, who stated this at a press conference held at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), said the union had resolved to “lodge an official complaint with appropriate authorities and to demand a full-fledged investigation into the activities of Professor Oloyede while in office as Vice-Chancellor of Ilorin.”
He said: “We mince no words in saying that, given our insider knowledge of his (Oloyede’s) anti-democratic and anti-union antecedents, Professor Oloyede is the last person that we expected to be so honoured with a national appointment of that status in the education sector.
“Oloyede’s anti-worker stance stood out in the case of the sacked UNILORIN 49… In the past years, the Union has refused to attend any meeting where Professor Oloyede would be present. His history of antagonism towards the Union therefore precludes him from heading a unit like JAMB where he would need to interact with ASUU either directly or through members of the Union”.
ASUU also called the attention of the Federal Government to several aspects of the Federal Government / ASUU 2009 Agreement which it said had yet to be implemented.
“At the moment, all Nigerian Universities are in a state of serious funding crisis, which is becoming worse by the day. Similarly, budgetary allocation to education has drastically dropped from 11 per cent in 2015 to eight per cent in 2016. This situation has scuttled the smooth process of revitalisation of the universities which started in 2013,” Ogunyemi added.
The Union also condemned what it called “the proliferation of state universities, shortfalls in personnel emoluments to federal universities, irregular payments of salaries at State Universities, and non registration of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO).”
The Union’s address came after its National Executive Council meeting concluded Monday morning at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.
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