***Law guarantee freedom of association – PRO
Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Obafemi Awolowo University branch, on Thursday, disclosed that the union is having problem over the earned academic allowance because the institution’s Vice Chancellor is a member of a rival union, CONUA.
Addressing journalists, during a peaceful protest in the school campus, OAU ASUU Chairman, Dr Adeola Egbedokun said the Vice Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede’ membership of Congress of University Academics made it difficult for ASUU members in the school to get its dues.
He added that students of the school are not receiving lectures“This is not the first time that EAA will be disbursed to Federal Universities. The money was released on 12th December 2021 and many universities, I can say 98 per cent have paid before the end of 2021, it is only OAU that split up till now because of one reason.
Our Vice-Chancellor is a member of a group, which do not align with the struggle of ASUU, named CONUA. Each time we have a meeting with the VC, he will be giving us the condition of CONUA as if the group is superior to ASUU.
“We (ASUU) fought for this money and we should lead on how this money should be disbursed. We use to disburse EAA based on the template that is submitted by ASUU and not any group. If they have the capacity, they should demand theirs, this is our money. ASUU’s share must be disbursed to us.
This action was supported by the National body of ASUU, we have no fear, the strike is indefinite. We have in attendance leadership of ASUU in Ibadan, Lagos, Benin and Akure zone our congress today”, said Egbedokun.
Reacting, the school’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju said every academic member is backed by law to be member of any union, saying it has no bearing on the issue of earned academic allowance.According to him, the school has not been able to disburse the money because of disagreement between the two academic unions in the school.
In OAU, our academics belong to two factions of union which are ASSU and CONUA. Since the EAA is not on the union bases, we believe that every member of academic union of the university particularly those who earned it is entitled.“Unlike before when both union agreed on a template, this time around they disagreed on which template to adopt for the payment, hence, we decided that they should both go and harmonised their position, come out with a template which will be used to pay the money. It is not in our character to hold unto such money”, he said.
