ASUU DEMANDS ADEQUATE FUNDING OF VARSITIES BY BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS

The Benin Zone of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has implored the Federal and State Governments to redouble effort towards adequate funding of public universities in the country to stem the “JAPA” syndrome and the deepening brain drain in the universities.

The call was contained in a press statement issued at the end of its regular zonal meeting at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAU,A), Ondo State over the weekend.

The Union, in the statement, maintained that the Federal and State Governments being proprietors of public universities in the country should be held responsible for the rot, infrastructural decay and low staff morale in the public universities as a result of inadequate funding and education policy somersault.

The press statement was jointly signed by the Benin Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Monday Igbafen along with the branch Chairpersons of the Union in six universities in the zone.

They include Ray Chikogu of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Benin City, Cyril Onogbosele of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Bolu Oshodi of the Adekunle Ajasin University (AAU) Akugba-Akoko, Wilfred Okologume of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE) Effurun, Rotimi Olorunsola of the Olusegun Ogagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH) Okitipupa and Desmond Ekokotu of University of Delta (UNIDEL), Agbor.

The Union noted that staff morale was at its lowest ebb in public universities largely as a result of the refusal of government to sign the reviewed “2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement” and called for sincerity of purpose on the part of government to resolve the outstanding demands of the Union which included adequate funding.

The Benin Zone of the Union stated that it was disturbed that while the Federal Government and other state governments in the country were struggling to contain the pressure for increased funding of their universities, the Obaseki-led state government in Edo State has decided to toe the path of complete abandonment of funding of AAU, Ekpoma.

The Union condemned the policy of self-sustenance being experimented in AAU, Ekpoma, describing it as obnoxious and the cause of the woes of workers in the university including selective salary payments to the extent that some academic staff are being owed 24 months salaries.

The Union urged the Nigerian public to prevail on the Obaseki-led government to retrace its step and restore adequate funding to AAU, Ekpoma and resolve other outstanding issues of proper governance in the University.