The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH)

  • Union president accuses AAUA mgt. of low funding

    Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) students’ union president, Comrade Samuel Adesomoju, has alleged that the school management is starving his administration of funds and other benefits for kicking against the upward review of tuition fees.

    Adesomoju said out of N4.5 million due to the union, only 1,047,000 has so far been disbursed. Adesomoju spoke during an interview with CAMPUSLIFE.

    He said: “My administration has not enjoyed anything because of the way we tackled the management (over increase in tuition). We were denied a lot of things.

    “Our administration has been on board for over eight months without leadership training because it was cancelled by the school management.

    “Since the inception of this administration, only N1,047,000 of N4.5milion due to us has been disbursed; all because of our involvement in the protest against the hike in tuition.”

    Ademosoju flayed the students’ impatience over the protest, which according to him, could have cost him and others involved their studentship.

    He explained that had the students been resolute like their counterparts in Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), whose fees were equally jerked up, government’s decision would not have stood.

    He said:” We had low turnout of AAUA students during the school fees protest compared to the turn out of the students of Ondo State University of Science and Technology

    “Besides, if AAUA students had been more supportive and cooperative, there was a higher probability that the (Ondo State) Governor (Rotimi Akeredolu), would have back pedaled on the raise in tuition.

    “We were clamouring for reduction in school fees when most of the students had already abandoned the struggle and were now desperate to resume. It took the grace of God for us not to have forfeited our studentship.”

    Ademosoju also bemoaned the manner the students made fun of his appearance and utterances in a short video after the meeting between the students leaders and Governor Akeredolu ended in deadlock.

    “Instead of them to condemn the government, they were busy making jest of me. We were teargassed and I fell in the heat of the commotion where everyone was trying to avoid inhaling the gas.

    “After I got up I had to remove my shirt to cover my nose. President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Comrade Danielson Akpan, recorded the video outside the Government House.”

    He said the whole encounter had taught him lessons, adding that what he went through was never envisaged. “Students unionism is not what myself and my executives imagined it to be. With the school fees saga we realised the kind of nature students of AAUA possess.

    “You fight for them but should you die alone, no one cares. As a leader one needs to employ diplomacy in dealing with the students and also agitating for them. In all, we learnt our lessons,” he said.

    Reacting, Dean of student affairs, Olusegun Owelewa, denied ever underfunding the union for any reason. He said funds so far disbursed were according to available school fees paid by students.

    He said: “That’s what they (SU)should get by the available school fees paid. They were the one who underfunded themselves. The amount they charge as union due is low. It is the lowest in the whole of Nigeria.

    “EKSU (Ekiti State University), pays N1,500 per student, In (University of) Benin it’s N2,500 per student, but AAUA pays N300 naira. So, when they pay the lowest they can’t expect much.

    “That’s what was due to the union as at the time it was released. They’ll multiply N300 by the number of students that have paid their school fees. So, it has not been underfunded in any way, it is undersubscribed and SU are not being punished. “

    Concerning cancelled training for union leaders, Owelewa added: “I would not expect him to say this because he knows what happened. After we had made necessary preparations, they said they were not ready for the leadership training.

    “It was the time they were doing aluta on school fees. We also prepared a kind of guided tour to Abeokuta and I showed it to him and his executive but they said they were not ready. When they now knew they had lost an opportunity they are now turning back to ask for it.

    “The university has a way of doing things; they cannot be deciding for the university. The university is not prepared for it. A new executive will soon come on board so they’ve wasted their time.”

  • Ondo Varsity shut down indefinitely – Registrar

    The Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), Okitipupa, has been shut down indefinitely following students’ protest over hike in tuition.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students had, on April 30, been asked to vacate the institution’s premises and resume on May 20.

    Mr Felix Akinusi, the institution’s Registrar, however told NAN on Monday in Okitipupa that the the institution’s senate had resolved to shut it indefinitely.

    Akinusi said the decision was to guard against break down of law and order by the students.

    NAN reports that the students protested when the management insisted that they should continue to pay the new tuition which ranges from N150,000 to N200,000 per session, depending on a student’s state of origin.

    NAN gathered that the tuition was less that N100,000 before the management increased it last academic session, agreeing with the students that it would be reduced the next session.

    The registrar said the university authorities were still meeting with the stakeholders over the increase in tuition in order to reach a “conclusive end” on the matter.

    He, however, said some students, especially those on 200 Level, had agreed to continue with the new fee but later rescinded the decision and took to protest rather than dialogue.

    “The senate of the institution has resolved to shut the institution indefinitely as the students have vowed to continue their protest.

    “The senate reached this decision to guard against breakdown of law and order by students as meeting with stakeholders over the matter is ongoing.

    “The students agreed to pay the tuition when they resumed newly but they later abandoned the agreement for protest.

    “The new date of resumption will be communicated to them after we have resolved the matter,” Akinusi said.

    Meanwhile, the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko (AAUA), has also been shut indefinitely over hike in tuition.

  • Akeredolu appeals for adequate funding for universities

    Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Friday appealed to stakekeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to help bridge the funding gap of government-owned universities, for sustainable economic development.

    Akeredolu, who was represented by Dr Omowunmi Ilawole, his Special Adviser on Education, made the appeal at the 1st Foundation Day Lecture of the Ondo State University of Science and Technology ( OSUSTECH ) in Okitipupa.

    The lecture was titled: “University Funding and Nation Building: Bridging the Gap between the Gown and the Town.’’

    He explained that the dwindling resources being experienced in Nigeria of recent had made it impossible for government to solely fund university education in the country.

    “If the stakeholders in Education do not support the government in funding university education, it will be impossible to bridge the gap between the gown and the town,” Akeredolu said.

    Meanwhile, the guest lecturer, Dr James Kayode-Naiyeju, blamed the slow pace of development in Nigeria on poor funding of Universities.

    The don said that most developed countries had much stake in funding universities, which he noted, was the panacea to nation-building.

    According to him, Nigeria, as a signatory to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation ( UNESCO ), is still unable to meet the organisation’s recommended 26 per cent allocation of the total budget to Education.

    Dr Kayode-Naiyeju, a former Accountant-General of the Federation, said that a country was classified as developed when it is able to provide qualitative life for its citizenry.

    He stated that institutions of higher learning which were the midwives of human-capital development, had tremendous roles to play in nation-building by enriching science, engineering, technology, humanities and the arts, and providing value-based education to students.

    “Universities dedicated to learning, teaching and research are essential building blocks of any civilisation, and are increasingly becoming significant economic institutions.

    “Universities, therefore, need to meet their full economic costs of teaching and conducting research, which include costs of academic and non-academic staff, training of postgraduate research students, equipment, fieldwork and laboratory services.

    “Funding has remained a critical factor in the provision of functional education that can lead to national transformation.

    “Inadequate funding puts university management under stress and strain, leading to rampant crisis in the system, resulting in strikes by academic and non-academic unions,” he said.

    The don, however, said that government should show commitment to budgetary allocation to education, through its agencies like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFUND ) and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation ( NDIC ), among others.

    He also said payment of tuition fees, corporate social responsibility, commercial activities on campuses, commercialisation of accommodation, endowment funds, consultancy services and part-time programmes, were other ways of funding education.

    Earlier, Prof. Sunday Ogunduyile, the Vice-Chancellor, OSUSTECH, said that university funding had been a centre-point of discourse and had yet to be laid to rest.

    He said that the government and stakeholders in the educational sector should brainstorm and come out with a logical conclusion on university funding for the country to stand tall in the comity of nations.

    NAN

  • OSUSTECH matriculates 1,200 students for 2018/2019 session

    Ondo State University of Science and Technology ( OSUSTECH ), Okitipupa, on Thursday matriculated 1,200 students for the 2018/2019 academic session.

    The students were admitted into the Faculties of Sciences and Technology, Engineering Technology and Agriculture and Wildlife.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sunday Ogunduyile, advised the new students to shun cultism, hooliganism, unholy relationships, bad gangs, smoking, drinking and other vices that could jeopardise their future.

    Ogunduyile also urged the fresh OSUSTECH students to concentrate on their studies and be good ambassadors of their families and the nation in order to contribute their own quota to the development of the country.

    He said they should consider themselves lucky as less than half of the 1.5 million candidates that wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination ( UTME ) yearly got admitted.

    He thanked the state government and stakeholders who contributed toward the establishment of the Faculties of Engineering Technology and Agriculture and wildlife.

    He said the institution was poised to compete favourably with other institutions in the country and beyond.

    “I am glad that the institution which was operating with one Faculty of Sciences, now has two more faculties of Engineering Technology and Agriculture and Wildlife.

    “I commend the state government and other stakeholders for supporting the laudable project; this will indeed help the institution to compete favourably with its peers in the country and beyond,” he added.

    The matriculation was the 8th in the series and had the highest number of students as well as the second celebration by Ogunduyile ,one year after he assumed office.

    NAN

  • OSUSTECH matriculates 1,000 fresh students

    OSUSTECH matriculates 1,000 fresh students

    The Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), Okitipupa, is to matriculate 1,000 newly admitted students on March 8.

    The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Sunday Ogunduyile, told our reporter on Thursday in Okitipupa that the matriculation would hold at the university’s permanent site.

    The university is the third of such state-owned institution established by the Gov. Olusegun Agagu, who hailed from the area.

    The state boasts of Adekunle Ajasin University at Akungba Akoko and the University of Medical Sciences in Ondo.

    He said the institution which hitherto operated only the Faculty of Sciences now has two newly accredited faculties – Engineering and Agriculture.

    “We are fully set for the matriculation of over 1,000 students who passed and are still undergoing the screening exercise and have completed their admission process into the institution.

    “We were running just the Faculty of Sciences now we have two more faculties – Engineering and Agriculture – recently accredited by the National Universities Commission ( NUC ),”  he said.

    NAN

  • Ondo Varsity resumes academic activities after weeks of strike

    Ondo Varsity resumes academic activities after weeks of strike

    The Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) in Okitipupa has resumed academic activities  after a six-week strike.

    A visit by a correspondent of NAN to the main and the mini campuses on Tuesday showed that the administrative staff was at their duty posts screening new students and registering returning students.

    The unions: Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) in a joint  communiqué on Saturday directed all staff to resume on Monday.

    Mr. Felix Akinnusi, the Acting Registrar, told NAN that both the students and staff had fully resumed.

    “We have resumed fully for the first semester of 2016/2017 academic session with our 100-level students undergoing screening.

    “Our old students are also doing their registration.

    “Although the strike affected academic activities, we will make up for the lost time as the senate will meet to deliberate on it and new academic calendar,” Akinusi said.

    He said that the institution was in high spirit under a new governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and a new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sunday Ogunduyile.

    The unions embarked on an indefinite strike on Jan. 23 in order to compel the former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adegoke Adegbite, to resign his appointment over alleged gross misconduct, corruption and abuse of office.

    The unions also demanded adequate funding, urgent facelift of the institution and appointment of a substantive vice-chancellor.