Rampaging workers Shut down FUOYE over unpaid salary

Workers at the Federal University Oye, (FUOYE) on Monday pratically shut down all activities at the university located in Oye town, in Oye Local Government of Ekiti state protesting over their unpaid salaries and other entitlements.

The protest which was against the management and authority of the university stalled the orientation programme that ought to have been organized for the new students of the university, while their parents, who brought them in their vehicles were disappointed when they met the main gate under lock and key .

Under the leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff  Union (NASU), the rampaging staff closed down the school and prevented their colleagues, both academic and non-academic from entering as early as 7am at the main gate of the university uptill the time of filing this story at at about 4pm.

The protest later spilled to the heart of  town , where the placard-carrying staff had chanted  various songs to deride the Vice Chancellor, Prof Kayode Soremekun and threatening  to make the university ungovernable if their demands are not met.

Academic staff who forced their way into institution were harassed by the rampaging workers, branding them as betrayers partners in struggle.

Some of their allegations included  : non-promotion of staff as and when due, improper  placement of staff in their areas of specialization, illegal  ICT deduction,  perpetration of illegal employment, non-remittance of unions’ check off dues, withholding of Hazard Allowance, Arbitrary award of contracts, Victimization of Staff, among others.

The Chairmen of SSANU and NASU respectively, Coms Ademola Mutiu and Adebayo Dada, accused the VC and management team of taking a sum of N2 million to celebrate the  Christmas and new year festivities, when two months salaries were being owed, describing this as the highest point of insensitivity.

Mutiu said: “It was bad that an institution that claims not to have money had to secretly employed about 500 workers and used the lean internally revenue to pay them. We held two meetings with the
management in November that IGR should be used to pay some of our allowances, but this illegal employment didn’t allow this agreement to work.

“Before the end of last year, two months salaries were owed and in spite of this the members of the management took N2 million each for the festivities. This was the highest point of wickedness and insensitivity”, he said.

His counterpart in NASU, Com. Dada added that the university charged a tuition fee of N132,000 making it the most expensive university in Nigeria, querying why the institution was still ranting over paucity of funds while also receiving this outrageous amount.

“Today, FUOYE is charging a sum of N50,000 per bed space in its hostels and there are about six students in a room. I see no reason why this institution always  complain about lack of fund to pay our allowances.

“All these must stop . And we are warning that we are not going to resume work until all our entitlements and other demands are met”, he said.

All efforts by our correspondent to get across to the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Kayode Soremekun proved abortive as his glo number rang severally without him picking.