Lecturers of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) have accused the Akure zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of making spurious allegations to discredit the management of the institution.
It will be recalled that ASUU in the institution and the zone are having running battles with the management of the federal Institution.
The zonal branch of ASUU and that of the institution through its chairmen Professor Olu Olutayo and Dr Akinyemi Omoniyo respectively had accused the Vice-Chancellor of financial recklessness.
The lecturers, who spoke under the aegis of Forum of Concerned Academics (FCA), alleged the leadership of the union in the institution and the Akure branch are pursuing tribal agenda against the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode Soremekun for their personal benefits.
They denied all the allegations against the institution’s management which include, pension deductions, students paying extra for practicals, undue hardship and victimization of critics and failure to investigate allegations of salary fraud against the DVC.
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Speaking on behalf of the splinter group in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, Professor Shola Omotola said, “That the stage-managed suppression of the popular will by the zone and their unbridled meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of the FUOYE branch, have become part of the problems to be solved. Members agreed that the Zone has a personal agenda it is pursuing through the impeached branch chairperson. Hence, their vehement resolve to continue to shield him at all costs.
” We concluded then that as stakeholders in FUOYE, we would assert our responsibility and that we would no longer fold our arms and watch any disgruntled elements destroy our university. FUOYE belongs to all of us.
” That we (FCA) would remain in ASUU, but vehemently rejected the leadership of Omonijo. We also demanded for an ASUU that would remain focused on its mandates through inclusiveness. And that any attempt to reduce our union to the service of the interest of a few would henceforth be resisted.”
While revealing that they have lost confidence in the zonal branch of the union, the concerned academics called on the National president of ASUU, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi to urgently wade into crisis in order to protect the union’s image.
But the chairman of Akure-ASUU, Professor Olutayo while speaking with Tribune Online, said the zone only carried out the order of the national headquarters of the union by calling on the federal government to audit the university.
He said, ” If they believe what the zone said is not correct, they should support us by calling on the federal government to come and audit the university. Let the visitation panel come and we will know who is right and wrong.
” Our position is that of the National council of the union. They ask us to go ahead and do it. If they said the zone is wrong, that means they are saying the National is wrong.What is so big about calling for visitation panel to the university. I am only the Spokesperson of the nation in this regard.”
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