AAUA VC Urge ASUU to Devise New Ways of Channeling its Demand:
The Vice Chancellor of the Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Prof. Femi Mimiko, has said authorities of the university were making efforts that would lead to the end of the 137-day-long strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Prof. Mimiko stated this when he received the participants of Course 22 of the National Defence Academy (NDA) during their tour of the university.
When asked why AAUA joined the ASUU strike since the institution is funded by the Ondo State government, Prof. Mimiko responded that before the strike began, there was no dispute between the university and its academic staff. But since members ASUU members in the institution were bound by the decision of the national body, he said, it became necessary for them to join the industrial action.
“The university was established and funded by the Ondo State government. And now, we are on strike to compel the Federal Government to implement an agreement that it willingly signed in 2009. For some of us, it is difficult to understand why the government has refused to honour the pact. But ours is more of a sympathetic strike since we have no direct relationship with the Federal Government. Therefore, going on strike when there is no dispute makes the strike completely illegal.
“There is no amount of money that we get at the end of the day for infrastructural development and our personal emoluments that will justify the closure of the entire university system for four months,” he said.
Prof Mimiko stated that closing down campuses was no longer in vogue in many countries, urging ASUU to devise new ways of channeling its demands from the government.
“The strike is not the solution. We must be courageous enough to look for an alternative. I am using this opportunity to appeal to my colleagues to come back to work. All of us must do something to get back to work,” he said.
The NDA delegation described the infrastructural development in the university as impressive.
The leader of the team, Commodore Yusuf Isah, said his team was in the state to undertake a study tour of its infrastructure to enable participants realise how the infrastructure in the state could enhance economic development.
He said the visit to AAUA was to understudy the infrastructure and challenges of the institution.
Prof Mimiko thanked the participants for considering the institution worthy of their tour.