The lecturers at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), which is owned by Ondo State, have warned that they might stop students from returning to school and disrupt the upcoming graduation ceremony if their unpaid salaries are not settled.
The university’s lecturers, who are part of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), went on strike last month because the government had not paid them the money they were owed. Since then, all academic activities at the university have been on hold.
The leader of ASUU at the university, Boluwaji Oshodi, said the lecturers had been patient for a long time, but they couldn’t wait any longer. He said the government had ignored their problems for too long.
“We have waited enough. We are tired of being ignored. Our members are suffering,” Oshodi said. He also mentioned that the government didn’t seem interested in solving the issue.
Oshodi added that the union had tried many times to speak with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, but nothing had worked. He said some lecturers were even forced to conduct exams while hungry, showing how bad the situation had become.
In response to the threats from ASUU, the Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Igbekele Ajibefun, denied that the government had abandoned the university.
The commissioner said the government had been talking with the lecturers to fix the problem and promised that things would soon get better.
He also said that the governor’s administration had been regularly sending money every month to state universities like AAUA and had not delayed those payments.
