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Tag: OOU

  • Four critically injured as students clash in Abeokuta

    Four critically injured as students clash in Abeokuta

    Students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago – Iwoye, in their thousands seized the entrance to the Oke – Mosan Governor’s Office, demanding 50 percent reduction in their tuition fee.

    They said the reduction should take immediate effect – 2013/2014 academic session and not by next session, lamenting that OOU students remain the highest fees paying students in Nigeria.

    The students who also blocked the Abeokuta – Kobape – Sagamu expressway for the better part of Thursday, made vehicular movement nightmarish for travellers and motorists going to and fro Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    They dropped a frightening pot of fetish objects – ebo (sacrifice) bearing egg, eko, feather among others at the Governor’s Office gate with all the items smeared with red palm oil.

    Over two dozen policemen including the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, had a hectic time labouring to contain the surging crowd lest they pull down the locked entrance gate in a bid to forcefully enter the government Secretariat.

    The protesting OOU students led by their leader, Comrade Ifade Olusegun, rejected the tuition fees reduction earlier announced by the state government and demanded to meet with Governor Ibikunle Amosun who was said to have travelled to Abuja.

    Olusegun said: “even if it’s going to take us one month or more than that, we are not going to leave the governor’s office premises until the governor attend to us. Enough of deceit, why the political school fees, when election is forthcoming, no we shall not accept the dubious offer.

    “It is a political reduction instead of proper reduction. Our demand is simple, we want breakdown of our tuition fees. Also we want the reduction to be implemented this session, it’s simple as ABC. If the governor realized the need for reduction, why must governor say the implementation must be from next session?”

    The students reckoned that any reduction above N50, 000 is unacceptable to them and not in consonance with the present economic reality, adding that the Governor, during the electioneering campaign had promised drastic reduction in the tuition fees.

    The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Segun Odubela, appealed for calm, until the Governor who travelled to Abuja for a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan on the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), returns.

    Earlier, another group of students including students from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta FUNNAB, in their thousands converged at the Arcade ground at the Governor’s office for a solidarity rally in support of the reduction.

    They lauded Amosun for reducing their school fees to lightening the burden of education on them and expressed support for his second term ambition.

    The Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Okikiola Ogunsola, who addressed the Ogun State government officials led by the Chief of Staff, Professor Ganiyu Olatunde, said the reduction was “drastic, unprecedented and commendable.”

    According to him, the present administration was magnanimous enough to have yielded to the yearnings of the students’ populace despite the dwindling allocation from the federation account.

    Ogunsola said: “We are here to appreciate the Governor because our Governor is a listening Governor, first of it is the reduction in the school fees, composition of governing council in Tai Solarin University of Education, the appointment of SA to the governor on students’ affairs and for the peace we have enjoyed in our schools.”

    But by noon, the protest turned violent and bloody, leaving four students critically injured and hospitalised while about a dozen of others received minor injuries as those opposed to reduction and others in support of it clashed.

    The clash occurred when  a bus conveying the Students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta (MAPOLY), who were returning from the Amosun thank you rally for tuition fee reduction, ran into a pack of OOU students resulting in a free for all at the  Kuto area of the state capital.
    In what appeared  like a reprisal attack, the MAPOLY students were said to have reinforced and confronted the OOU students, leaving four seriously injured.

    Reacting, the Labour Party in the state described Amosun’s  School fees Reduction as a panicky measure and another greek gift to the students.

    Speaking through its Publicity Secretary in the state, Deji  Kalejaiye, the party said the reduction remains another desperate measure by the government of Ogun State to hoodwink the unsuspecting public, after similar steps taken by the All Progressive Congress (APC) Controlled government of Lagos State reduced school fees of Lagos State owned Institutions to twenty five thousand naira (N25, 000).

  • OOU students boycott lectures

    Academic activities were suspended last Monday and Tuesday at the Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. No thanks to the directive by the leadership of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), which ordered students not to go for lectures.

    The action was taken to protest what the students called “exorbitant fee” they are paying.

    “It is obvious that the students are angry and are ready to engage the government over the fee,” one of the students’ leaders said.

    The union president, Olusegun Ifade, while addressing the students, said: “Let me say unequivocally that we will never be discouraged or succumb to any form of intimidation as we continue to engage the government peacefully to achieve our aims.”

    Olusegun said the union believed education was a right and not a privilege for the poor masses. He added that the fee was making education the right of the children of the rich.

    “Even though we understand that the management enjoy good level of funding from the government, we, in totality, reject exorbitant fees as we cannot continue on this inglorious path; transfer of government’s responsibility to our parents who have been subjected to economy hardship is not accepted,” he said.

  • Ogun slashes fees in tertiary schools

    The Ogun State government has reduced tuition fees in state-owned tertiary institutions by 61 per cent.

    The reduction takes effect from the 2014/2015 academic session.

    The government abolished the payment of different fees by indigenes and non-indigenes.

    Addressing students’ representatives at the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology Segun Odubela said the reduction was reached after deliberations by the government with students’ leaders and heads of the institutions.

    Some students will now pay as low as N29,700.

    According to Odubela, medical students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), who have been paying N301,610, will now pay N176,596. Arts students in the same institution will pay N81,112 instead of N126,540.

    Other schools affected by the development are the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta; Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun; College of Education, Omu; the four Information Communication Technology (ICT) polytechnics and the College of Health Technology, Ilese-Ijebu.

    The government donated 13 buses to the Student Unions of all tertiary institutions in the state.

  • OOU and its struggle for survival

    SIR:  After four years in exile, I returned to what looked like a new-improved OOU in June 2013. Between then and now, it seems to me that one of the big debates that should occupy everyone’s mind, and take place, both at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye  and  Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s executive  meetings, over the next one year is what becomes of the institution, and what  model of governance and management is most appropriate for  OOU.

    There are of course many different possible models, and many points of view amongst all the stakeholders. But one might say that on the opposite ends of the spectrum are, on the one side, those who would argue that OOU is a community of scholars who should direct their own affairs by consensus, presided over by a primus inter pares such as the incumbent Vice-Chancellor; and on the other side, those who argue that today’s OOU is modern organization that needs to be run by a strong corporate-style governing body, with appropriate functions and powers delegated to it. Fortunately, both the Vice-Chancellor and the Governing Council are capable, and have managed within short time to rescue the institution from total collapse and academic jingoism deployed on the staff and students during the dark era of Professor Wale Olaitan. That was a period no one would want to remember!

    OOU’s path to regain its lost glory is long and could be accelerated if the sincere efforts of the present administration is complemented by the state government. Nobody ever thought that results could be ready on time again in OOU; No one ever thought staff morale could be slightly boosted above average again? Did anyone ever think it would not be business as usual at OOU? Discipline is taking a strong footing again, and that is a sign of good leadership. Workers and students once again can be proud of OOU. Indeed, there are signs that better days are coming back. There are reasons to once again believe in the great OOU which was in the past the number one choice for admission seekers and dedicated academic and non-academic staff.  However, the state government has not been forthcoming in playing its role effectively. Governor Amosun should wake up and come to the reality that university is a serious business which must be invested in heavily to yield results. No serious nation plays politics with education at any level, it is a social responsibility.

    It is surprising to read on the pages of newspapers that the state government has disbursed N21 billion to the state’s tertiary institutions in the last three years. The conditions of the campuses and morale of the staff do not justify this huge amount.  Irregular payment of salaries and wages, lack of basic teaching and learning facilities and inconducive offices are still major concerns at OOU and others.

    From the look of things, OOU has a system of governance and management that is responsive, flexible and decisive, but lacks financial capacity to meet its needs. The current management seems to be up to the task but the government on the other hand is not sensitive to the views, needs and interests of those who make up the university community.  Unless the government backs the management with political will and required funds, the governing council meetings will become debating chambers that often miss the real issues of strategy and direction. As the university is struggling to find its feet again, its needs should be subjected once again to a strategic review, these needs deserve proper attention. It is not clear that they are receiving it, yet. The first step, which would be in the right direction, is for the state government to take on the responsibility of paying wages and salaries in full, and stop the existing sharing formula. OOU should be allowed to use its internally generated funds to fund research and staff development.

     

    • Tola Osunnuga,

    Ago-Iwoye

     

  • Lecturers, Amosun differ on OOU funding

    Lecturers, Amosun differ on OOU funding

    Lecturers at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Ago-Iwoye have urged the Ogun State government to adequately fund the institution.

    They condemned the government’s directive that tertiary institutions should generate funds to meet their needs.

    They decried the delay in salary payment, adding that they may have no option but to “renew the struggle to save the university”.

    OOU-ASUU Chairman Dr. Deji Agboola said improper funding has led to a degeneration of state-owned tertiary institutions.

    In a statement, Agboola said: “Our union affirmed its earlier position that adequate funding of all tiers of education is a social responsibility of the government. Forcing universities to generate funds to pay salaries would only translate into increasing the already heavy burden on the largely impoverished citizens of the state and students, who have always been the victims.

    “ASUU berates the state government for consistently failing in its responsibilities to the university, especially on the payment of salaries and release of funds for the National Universities Commission (NUC) programme accreditation.

    “ASUU considers it most demeaning when the government regularly delays the payment of salaries for two months upwards. Such hostility to academia, no matter the real or feigned circumstance, is quite anti-labour.”

    Agboola said a situation where developmental projects on OOU campuses were funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the Federal Government Intervention Fund can no longer be condoned.

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun said his administration had been paying due attention to education, adding that it pays an average of N600 million monthly as subvention to state-owned tertiary institutions.

    In his Democracy Day speech, Amosun said: “We have given due attention to tertiary education. An average of N600 million is paid monthly to our tertiary institutions as subvention. This amounts to over N21.6 billion in the last three years. Our highly successful cashless policy has generated additional revenue, which is being re-invested directly by the institutions.

    “This administration will continue to prioritise education due to its undisputed impact on development. We will ensure not only continuous investment but also continuous improvement.”

     

  • Amosun directs OOU to pay arrears

    Amosun directs OOU to pay arrears

    Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has ordered the management of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, to effect the immediate payment of the outstanding one month salary arrears owed lecturers of the institution.

    Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa in a statement issued in Abeokuta also said the governor has promised that all other outstanding arrears would be paid without delay.

    He stated that Amosun-led government inherited a backlog of arrears from the immediate past administration, many of which have been cleared.

    Adeoluwa said despite the significant infrastructural development initiatives going on across the state, the government does not owe salaries and was one of the first to show commitment to the new minimum wage in 2011.

    The SSG added that since its assumption, the Government had committed N1 billion to clear part of the accrued allowances, saying there was also an agreement with all the unions to commit a further N500 million towards the payment of related allowances.

    “In the 32 months of our administration, we not only had cleared between nine and 11 months of wages arrears left by the last government, the staffers of Olabisi Onabanjo University, and workers everywhere in Ogun State got their salaries. In OOU, some of the backlog of unpaid allowances (as distinct from monthly salary) that is now touted as the reason for the Monday protest action dated back to six to seven years.

    “Since we came on board, government had committed N1 billion to clear part of the accrued allowances. In addition, there is agreement with all the unions to commit a further N500 million this financial year towards the payment of related allowances,” Adeoluwa said.

     

  • Ogun: OOU lecturers protest irregular salary payment

    Ogun: OOU lecturers protest irregular salary payment

    •Boycott classes

    Lecturers at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye in Ogun State yesterday protested the irregular payment of their salary, allowances and poor funding of the institution by the state government.

    The lecturers gathered at the Mini campus by 10:15 a.m. and marched to the permanent site, seven kilometres away.

    They said for three years, their salary had been irregular, “making it impossible for them to have financial plans.”

    The lecturers said they would shun lectures indefinitely until the authorities address their grievances.

    Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), OOU branch, Dr. Deji Agboola accused the management of being insensitive to their plight and urged Governor Ibikunle Amosun to make the payment of their salary one of his priorities.

    Agboola said: “In the last three years, salaries have been irregular. This unfortunate trend has persisted, thus making our members irresponsible and unable to meet their socio-personal and financial obligations. It is embarrassing that our wards at university-run institutions, such as the OOU Staff School and OOU International School are sent home for non-payment of fees.

    “This has embarrassed and ridiculed our members, some of whom cannot even pay their rents and meet other basic needs. This situation is capable of exposing our members to the temptation of unethical practices. It is ironic that a university that is waging a war against such unethical practices could be failing in its primary responsibility of paying the salary of its workers, knowing full well that this is their main source of income.

    “While we are mindful of the implication of any action that may cripple the university’s calendar, we can no longer condone an insensitive and harsh working condition, which is injurious to our members’ productivity. We are tired of working for two months and receiving one month salary. Our members have affirmed that they have been deprived the opportunity to come to work, as salaries are not paid.”

    ASUU Zonal Coordinator Dr. Adesola Nasir said the state failed to develop infrastructure in the institution and assured the lecturers of the support of the ASUU national secretariat.

    At the permanent site, the lecturers presented their grievances to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Saburi Adesanya, to be forwarded to the governor.

    Adesanya pleaded with them not to shun classes, saying the management was would correct the anomalies in salary payment.

  • OOU lecturers boycott classes, protest irregular salary payment

    OOU lecturers boycott classes, protest irregular salary payment

    Lecturers of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago – Iwoye, Monday marched through the mini and main campuses of the institution, protesting the irregular payment of their salaries, allowances and poor funding by the Ogun State government.

    The lecturers who began the protest march by 10:15am at the Mini campus in their hundreds, proceeded to the permanent site, a distance of about seven kilometres, saying for three years running, their salaries are irregular.

    Protesting under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) OOU branch, they said members would stay away from classes indefinitely with effect from Monday  pending when the authority takes definite steps to address their grievances.

    The Chairman of the OOU branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Dr. Deji Agboola, accused the management of insensitivity to their plights and appealed to Governor Ibikunle Amosun to put the salaries of the OOU lecturers as one of his priorities.

    Agboola said: “in the last three years, salaries have been irregular. This unfortunate trend has persisted, thus making our members irresponsible and unable to meet their socio-personal and financial obligations. It is embarrassing that our wards at university-run institutions like OOU staff school and OOU international school are sent home for non-payment of fees.

    “This has no doubt embarrassed and ridiculed our members some of whom cannot even pay their rents and meet other basic needs. This situation, the union feels, is capable of exposing our members to the temptation of unethical practices. It is ironic that the university currently waging war against such unethical practices could be failing in discharging its primary responsibility of paying the salaries of its workers knowing full well that this is the main source of income they depend on.

    “While we are mindful of the implication of any action that may cripple the university’s tight calendar, at the same time we can no longer condone an insensitive and harsh working condition that would be injurious to our members’ productivity. We are tired of working for two months and receiving one month salary. Our members have affirmed that they have been deprived the opportunity to come to work as salaries are not paid.”

    At the permanent site, they presented a letter of grievance to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Saburi Adesanya, for onward transmission to Amosun.

    Also, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Dr. Adesola Nasir, rued that the state government had failed to develop infrastructure in the institution and assured the lecturers that of the support of the ASUU national secretariat.

    However, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Saburi Adesanya, pleaded with them not to shun classes, saying the management of the institution had started working on measures to correct the anomalies in the payment of salaries.

  • Lecturers, ASUU officials clash at UNIBEN

    Lecturers, ASUU officials clash at UNIBEN

    •Southwest zone adamant

    Lecturers at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) are divided over whether to resume work following the expiration of the Federal Government’s ultimatum.

    Registers were opened at different faculties of public universities.

    Most of the registers were empty but at the Faculty of Law, some lecturers had signed up.

    Over 30 lecturers had indicated interest to begin lectures.

    A near free-for-all was avoided when members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) attempted to stop one Dr. Godspower Ekhobase of the Computer Science Department from taking his students.

    Sources said Dr. Godspower refused to listen to the union leadership when they asked him to stop and it led to a fracas.

    The source said when the students moved to join Dr. Godspower, ASUU members led by its Chairman, Dr. Tony Emina-Monye, beat a retreat.

    Contacted on the telephone, Dr. Monye said the lecturer was violent when they got to the lecture hall.

    Dr. Monye said a former chairman of ASUU was gripped on the shirt by Dr. Godspower before the students made their move.

    Dr. Monye said: “We are disregarding the ultimatum and threat of sack by the Government. We are still on strike and none of our members has signed any register to resume work. We will continue with the strike until otherwise directed by the union’s national secretariat of the union.

    The Ibadan Zone of ASUU comprising the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago – Iwoye, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, again defied the Government’s directive to resume yesterday.

    Also, students, who had been away for over five months, failed to return, indicating that they were convinced their lecturers would not budge until the government met their demands.

    At the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, classrooms, hostels and the libraries were deserted.

    At FUNAAB, the ASUU Chairman, Dr Abiodun Badmus, told reporters that the government’s order amounted to an “empty threat and of no effect.

    Also, Dr Adesola Nassir, restated the resolve of the Ibadan Zone of ASUU to remain on strike.

    Nassir said: “We just want Nigerians to know that ASUU is not going to be cowed, we are very strict as to the reason why we embarked on strike, we want our universities to be repositioned so that they can churn out the type of graduates that would fit into roles that will power the development of this country,

    “It didn’t take government up to a year to infuse over N2 trillion into the banks that are privately owned, that same government should not find it difficult to inject this amount of money into universities that are publicly owned.”

  • OOU to partner LondonMet varsity

    The authorities of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) Ago-Iwoye, have visited the London Metropolitan University to explore the possible areas of collaboration with the institution.

    In the entourage were the Pro-Chancellor, Dr Segun Oshin, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Saburi Adesanya and Mr Yemi Odetola an alumnus based in the United Kingdom.

    Welcoming the delegates to London Metropolitan University, its Vice-Chancellor, Prof Malcom Gillies said the proposal by OOU on the linkage programme was a welcome development. He assured that his university would be ready to make its facilities, especially science laboratories available for staff and students of OOU at mutually agreeable terms.

    Both parties also discussed the likelihood of joint application for funding from international organisations and manpower development.

    Prof Saburi also proposed staff and student exchange programmes, postgraduate training, joint curriculum design and research activities.