SSANU addresses the Ondo government’s proposal to create a fourth university

The Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) branch of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has denounced the state-owned Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPOplanned )’s upgrading to university status by the Ondo State Government.

The AAUA group at SSANU claimed that the existing universities were underfunded and opposed the establishment of new ones.

Tayo Ogungbeni, the chairman of SSANU-AAUA, said in a statement yesterday that despite the new national minimum wage in Nigeria being enacted four years before, none of the state’s tertiary institutions had yet to implement it for their staff.

Ogungbeni, who voiced displeasure of the conduct, emphasized that the state-owned institutions owe more than 10 months’ worth of payments to their teachers and other staff members.

We are beginning the New Year with salary arrears ranging from four to ten months at Ondo State tertiary institutions, he said.

None of the tertiary institutions in Ondo State have adopted the New National Minimum Wage for their workers, over four years after it was established across Nigeria. Are we no longer a part of Nigeria?

The creation of a fourth university is very certain to happen, despite the fact that all postsecondary institutions in Ondo State—which now consists of three state-owned universities and a polytechnic—are underfunded.

Is creating new universities the issue, or is it bettering the financing of the ones that already exist? Our governor should support the current universities so they can compete well with their international sisters’ institutions. Because government officials can easily send their wards to private institutions and even overseas, the federal government is doing everything in its power to “kill” public universities. Why would a sane government penalize the employees with no job, no pay if it had failed in its duties? It is unfortunate that higher education is on explosive ground.

“Only government can provide a steady academic schedule for public institutions in the New Year,” Ogungbeni said. Re-negotiation has ceased as numerous unions in Nigerian universities called off their strike! The children of the people do not deserve a brighter future, according to our political elites. Stable scheduling cannot be guaranteed if the Federal Government fails to pay all withheld wages owed to our members. “We as SSANU members cherish peace and would do everything possible to preserve peace but the only cure to peace in Nigerian institutions is proper financing,” the union’s members said in a statement. “Do not let the students see another incident in 2023.”