AAUA Strike: Governor Mimiko's meeting with ASUU Ends in Deadlock

An emergency meeting summoned by Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State with members of the Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU] of the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko to address the issue of unpaid salaries of lecturers has ended in a deadlock.

Our correspondent was told that the  meeting held on Tuesday at the Alagbaka office of the Governor had in attendance the embattled Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun.

The lectures are demanding for the full payment of their entitlement and have vowed not to resume for teaching activities on the campus if their salaries are not paid.

Sources at the meeting told SaharaReporters that the Vice Chancellor was able to explain to the Governor that the institution had been grappling with insufficient funds and had last collected subvention in the month of November 2015.

SaharaReporters gathered that Mimiko during the meeting repeatedly pleaded with the striking lecturers to resume work in the interest of the staggering academic calendar of the institution which is mostly affecting the students' performance.

“The Governor met with us and revealed there is no money in the State considering the huge funding he had committed in the institution in the past and that he did not deliberately create hardship in the University [AAUA] by withholding subventions.

“He [Mimiko] is now pleading for our understanding with the hope that there is going to be light at the end of the tunnel basing his fact that the State would soon receive money being owed it by the Federal Government which would allow it to meet its needs.

“So, he has asked our members to go back to work for the institution to get consideration before others in the future, as we would have demonstrated friendship during hard times and the Governor concluded with the promise to pay something," the source said.

Sola Fayose, the Chairman of ASUU in the institution also confirmed to SaharaReporters that the executive members of the union had just met with the Governor over the ongoing industrial dispute in the institution.

Fayose said that the explanation given by the governor during the meeting were not different from the pleas of the Vice-Chancellor which forced the lecturers of the institution to withdraw their services.

He added that the executive would, however, relay the outcome of their meeting with members of the congress to take a position.

"ASUU-AAUA Executive reviewed the interaction with the Visitor (Mimiko) and resolved to relay the outcome to members via available outlets as this meeting even fell short of the request from the administration that was brought up for discussion at the last Congress meeting.

"The leadership of the Union is closely monitoring developments, and will relate with us further depending on how things proceed. Apparently, we need to be more committed as we hope things would positively shape up soon," Mr. Fayose said to our correspondent.

The striking lecturers are demanding for the Immediate payment of their outstanding salaries and unnecessary deductions made in arrears.

They are also calling for the release of fund to develop the dilapidated and abandoned infrastructures in the school.