Management of the Ekiti State University, EKSU, Ado Ekiti has affirmed its commitment to the general welfare of its staff. This is contain in a statement by the Head, Directorate of Information & Corporate Affairs of the University, Mr Bode Olofinmuagu in reaction to various allegations by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, EKSU chapter against the governing council and management of the institution on financial mismanagement, published in the media, titled: “STOP THE PRETENCE AND DEAL WITH EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY’S FINANCIAL PROBLEMS.”It described the ASUU-EKSU’s allegations as a reflection of the Union’s misgivings on the financial crisis being experienced in the University.
The statement says the Pro-Chancellor & Chairman of Council, Professor Bamintale Omole had, through an interview with the media demonstrated his selflessness, deep understanding of the education sector and commitment to the development of EKSU as an institution and Ekiti in general without making unsavory remark about ASUU-EKSU. “As the Pro – Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Prof. Bamitale Omole has demonstrated, since his appointment about two years ago, that he was a leader who was not driven or known to be interested in pecuniary interests unlike some of his predecessors in office who would be mounting pressure on the University Management for perquisites of office.””Having being in the system consistently for about four decades, he alluded to the fact that the intervention of the federal government through TETFUND was a fallout of various agitations of ASUU among other achievements he attributed to the Union. He even went further to say that IPPIS does not capture the peculiar needs of our universities. This is an unassailable fact. “It is interesting to note that the Press Statement issued by ASUU-EKSU admitted that the current authorities of the University inherited the present financial problems from the administration of the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Professor Samuel Oye Bandele, including non-release of six months subvention by the immediate past administration of former Governor Ayodele Fayose. Therefore, indicting the Professor Bamitale Omole-led Governing Council amounts to unfairness, duplicity and double speak which is regrettable.
To claim that the present Council Chairman “has done more harm than good by defending the nonchalant attitudes of Federal and State Governments” or that he “made beautiful but empty submissions about the underfunding problems being experienced by universities in Nigeria” is nothing, but a cheap blackmail and an abysmal lack of understanding of the interview under reference.
For the record sake, it should be noted that the current Governing Council which was inaugurated on January 28, 2019 met the sum of N1, 914,867,338.00 as accumulated unpaid Cooperative money owed members of staff by the previous administration. Within a year, a sum of N1,368,008,446.74 was paid to offset part of the accumulated debts arising from the unpaid cooperative deductions. Again, unlike what it met on ground prior to its inauguration, this current Council had ensured that staff gross salaries were paid as and when due until the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic which had negatively affected the finances of the university.
For the sake of posterity, it should also be noted that the University had enjoyed a lot of supports and financial interventions from Ekiti State government, under Dr. Kayode Fayemi. These include:Release of a sum of over 32 million Naira to facilitate the accreditation of the MBBS programme which had been neglected for many years by previous administrations. It was this government’s intervention that eventually led to the MBBS programme being granted full accreditation thus, resulting to the graduation of the first set of Medical Doctors who had been stagnated for almost ten (10) years.
Donation of a 32-Seater Bus to the College of Medicine to meet part of the requirements for the accreditation of the Medical programme.
Release of a sum of 50 million Naira to facilitate and purchase of necessary equipment for the accreditation of eighteen (18) undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of the University that were presented to the National Universities Commission in November/December, 2019. All the programmes had full accreditation. Facilitation of the signing of memoranda of understanding with two reputable estate developers and investors for the construction and provision of accommodation for principal officers, staff and students of the university. These developers/investors will be moving to site any moment from now. In addition, it should be noted that despite the current precarious global economy, Ekiti State government has not reduced the monthly subvention given to the University unlike what was being experienced in some state universities in Nigeria. Sadly, the recent inability of the University to meet part of its financial obligations, especially the non remittance of some salary related deductions, was not unconnected with the lockdown which had seriously affected the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the University. More importantly, the failure of the past administration in the State to release six (6) months subvention to the University contributed in no small measure to the precarious financial situation of the university. “Nevertheless, it is on record that our University paid the July salaries and pensions on August 4, 2020 unlike what obtains in many state and private universities which have found it increasingly difficult to pay salaries to their staff and indeed sacked some workers as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.”It is also important to clear the air on the allegation of unremitted PAYE (Pay As You Earn) deductions to the State Inland Revenue Service. It is a well known fact that Professor Samuel Oye Bandele as Vice Chancellor did not remit these deductions to the Internal Revenue Service during his tenure. However, the present leadership of the University had paid N203,206,812.62 to the coffers of Ekiti State Inland Revenue Service since its inception to date.
On the issue of “Portal Fraud” raised in the statement by ASUU, let it be said categorically that there is no attempt by the Governing Council or the Management to sweep it under the carpet as being insinuated. All that Management has been doing was to follow due process as required by the university regulations. Management has concluded arrangement to table the matter and reports of the investigations at the next meeting of Council that will come up soon. To demonstrate this, the Visitor, with the Vice Chancellor in attendance, had met with the leadership of ASUU at both zonal and local levels twice within the past few months to discuss various issues raised by ASUU. The Governor and Visitor at those meetings gave assurances unequivocally, that the State government would address the issues raised by the union as soon as the finances of the state government improved. ASUU, as partners in progress should join hands with the current leadership of the university in its drive to find lasting solutions to the financial crisis confronting the university, rather than aggravating it through unnecessary and unprovoked media attacks. The doors of the Chairman of Council and the current Vice Chancellor are always open to dialogue with a view to providing the necessary and required leadership, contrary to ASUU-EKSU’s position.
