The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU has described as “irresponsible” the move by the Ondo State Government to establish another university in the state.
While condemning the proposed establishment of another university, the SSANU chapter of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA, argued that the existing ones are underfunded and university workers are owed over ten months salaries.
Comrade Tayo Ogungbeni who is the Chairman, SSANU-AAUA in a statement released on Thursday stressed that four years after the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage in Nigeria, none of the tertiary institutions in the state has implemented it for its work force
The Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led administration, had, last week announced plans to upgrade the state-owned Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, RUGIPO, to a university.
The state government after setting up a seven-member committee to look into the modalities for the upgrade, emphasised that the move is hinged on the directives of the Federal Government that all Polytechnics either be converted to universities or be affiliated with existing ones.
Meanwhile, the SSANU Chairman who frowned at the move, questioned that “Is our problem establishment of Universities or improving the funding of the existing ones? Our Governor should help the existing universities to compete favourably with other sisters’ universities worldwide.”
Comrade Ogungbeni added, “Underfunding is the hallmark of all the tertiary institutions in Ondo State comprising of three state-owned Universities and a Polytechnic, yet, the establishment of a fourth University is almost a done deal.
“At the Federal level, the government is doing everything humanly possible to ‘kill’ public universities because government officials can conveniently send their wards to private universities and even abroad! Why will a reasonable government that failed in its responsibilities punish the workers with no work, and no pay? It is unfortunate that university education is sitting on gunpowder.”
