Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, yesterday appealed to the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, to improve welfare packages for lecturers whose efforts have improved the ranking of the institution.
The Chairman of the union, Prof. Biodun Olaniran, in a statement issued yesterday, pleaded with the governor to jack up the monthly subvention which currently stands at N295 million, stating that the improved ranking has doubled the work of lecturers owing to more subscriptions from those interested in learning at the institution.
According to him, “Since 2020, LAUTECH has witnessed noticeable improvements in terms of finance, hence stable academic calendar. However, towards the end of 2021, some setbacks began to creep in. This may be attributed to inadequate funding of the university by the owner state. In recent times, LAUTECH has been rated as the best state university in Nigeria.
“This feat was achieved as a result of the inputs of the academic staff members in terms of their research outputs and publications. The consequence of this is an upsurge in the number of candidates choosing LAUTECH as their first choice university.
“In order to maintain and to improve on this status, it is very expedient that a stable academic calendar is sustained in the university, and this can only be achieved by adequate provisions for the welfare of staff members in terms of prompt payments of salary, promotion of members when due, payments of promotion arrears, EAA, among other.”
He said the government should see to the challenges which the lecturers are facing, which bothers on welfare, particularly non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances from 2013/2014 to 2020/2021 sessions.
“At an emergency congress held on April 13, the current challenges, especially non-payment of EAA (2013/2014 – 2020/2021) faced by academic staff members were reviewed. It was resolved that the situation should be brought to the attention of the government and the public in order to avert another crisis in the university. Our union, therefore, calls on the Oyo State Government, particularly the Visitor, to provide adequate subvention to the university. We also call on the handlers (university administration and the Governing Council) to prioritise the welfare of workers who are the drivers of the system,” he stated.
