Fayose Appeals To Ekiti Varsity Teachers To End Strike

EKITI State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has appealed to the striking lecturers of the Ekiti State University to return to the classrooms and prevent the derailment of the school’s academic calendar.

Fayose, who appealed to the lecturers to show understanding over non-payment of the September 2014 subvention owed by the immediate past administration, causing delay in their salaries, said the future of the students would have to be considered in the interest of all.

The Governor made the statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday during the graduation ceremony of the University.

At the event boycotted by the teachers, 6,807 graduands were conferred with Degree and Post Graduate Degree awards in various courses by the insitution, led by its Vice Chancellor, Prof Oladipo Aina.

The lecturers have embarked on work-to-rule in the last two weeks, to protest the non-payment of their September salary.

Fayose, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Kolapo Olusola said: “You can all attest to the fact that Governor Fayose is passionate about the payment of salaries and other benefits.

“We are begging for your understanding on this issue because allowing the academic calendar to be disrupted may not be in the interest of these students, whose parents have invested so much.

“We are not running away from the payment of September subvention. We are happy that the management has helped in the payment of the August subvention, which shows that the university has been looking inward on how to generate money to assist the government for adequate funding.”

He urged the graduands to continue to strive hard to get to the top of their chosen careers, advising that they should always embrace the tenets of integrity for them to be regarded as good Ambassadors of the university and Ekiti.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Aina, expressed delight over the accreditation granted the institution’s College of Medicine by the National Universities Commission (NUC), saying “the result of the Medical and Dental Council is still being awaited, but with good prognosis.”

Aina said the 2012/ 2013 session produced 19 First Class, 991 Second Class Upper and 4,451 Second class lower divisions, while 1,081 and 58 graduating students were in Third Class and Pass respectively.