With the current posture of the Ekiti State government to the plights of the Ekiti State University, EKSU, early grave is inevitable for the school. This is according to the EKSU branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Kayode Arogundade.

In a press conference addressed on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti, Dr Arogundade alleged that “As at today, Ekiti State Government is only subventing EKSU by 50% of its monthly wage bills, without paying any considerable attention to capital grants and infrastructural developments.”

“This has led EKSU Administration to ingloriously indulge in financial infractions such as: Subversion of Tax Deductions to paying salaries, Diversion of Pension deductions to paying salaries and Fund diversion from various units of the University (Health Centre, ICT, Faculties and Directorates). By this, all these Units are left in absolute neglect and disarray.”

According to the ASUU chairman, the current administration under governor Kayode Fayemi has demonstrated absolute and unprecedented neglect for the University. “How can one explain that the University is State owned, yet, it cannot boast of any singular infrastructural facility put in place by the current State Government, since its inception in 2018?” Arogundade queried.

‘Despite various appeals made to eminent personalities in the State to help call the attention of Government to the survival of the University, it appears the current Governor of the State has defiantly made up his mind to punish EKSU to its grave. Ordinarily, it should not take the “brilliant and performing Governor” 3 years to defray the 5 months arrears of subventions being owed the University, when in actual fact, he had promised to do so within the first six months of assumption of office.”

“Why should we justifiably continue to trust a Government that could not honour its own agreements, signed on its behalf by the State House of Assembly with the Union?

“Despite all efforts by our Union to embrace the spirit of collective bargaining, neither the Governor, University Council nor EKSU Administration deemed it fit to see to how our plights could be bettered and ameliorated. Rather, it has been unkept promises, continuously and unendingly running for 3 years, as if the education of our citizens is of no priority to them.”

EKSU-ASUU chairman therefore calls on all stakeholders in the State to passionately appeal to all concerned in the EKSU project, in order to save it from total collapse.

All efforts to get the corporate affairs director of the University, Bode Olofinmuagun reactions to the issues proved abortive as he didn’t reply our SMS nor return our calls as at this press time.