Strike: LAUTECH ASUU Dares Makinde Over Subvention Threat

BY ADEBAYO WAHEED, Ibadan

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ladoke Akintola University chapter yesterday dared Governor Seyi Makinde, saying that despite his threats over subvention the strike action would continue.

ASUU warned that any branch that breaks the strike would lose out from the benefits of the struggle including infrastructure development.

It added that her members had resolved to forge ahead with the strike and pursue it to a logical conclusion which “is imminent”.

ASUU chairman and secretary, Prof Biodun Olaniran and Toyin Abegunrin, respectively after their congress reacted to the threat by the state governor, Seyi Makinde, to stop payment of subvention until lecturers returned to classroom.

The union said the government should not see itself or students as targets of the strike but as beneficiaries of ASUU strike as the intervention of most state governments in terms of subvention has been used as part-payment of salaries.

According to ASUU, the union is shocked to hear from the commissioner of Education during his appearance of Fresh FM that the state had been paying LAUTECH 100 per cent subvention when the university administration revealed to the union that only 55 per cent subvention comes from government and the balance of 45percent is sought by the university through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)

The ASUU leaders stated that the commissioner’s claim on subvention had created further distrust between the management and the unions as to who is telling the truth and who is not.

It explained that the responsibilities of capital projects has been totally abdicated and surrendered to TETFUND and NEEDS to assess projects of ASUU’s struggles.

“The congress of ASUU, LAUTECH branch was held on Tuesday, 07/06/2022. The congress deliberated extensively on the press interview granted to the Honourable Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology by Fresh FM on Saturday 28th of May, 2022 and His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde by BCOS on Saturday, 4th June, 2022, respectively. In the interview, the Honourable Commissioner stated that LAUTECH has been receiving full subvention.

“This position is at variant with the submission of the university administration, that only about 55 per cent of the subvention is provided by the government while the remaining 45 per cent is sought by the university via Internally Generated Revenue (IGR),’’ they said.