The attention of the Special Adviser to the Governor of Ekiti State on Tertiary Education has been drawn
to a recent press statement by the Ekiti State University branch of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities.
Ordinarily, there wouldn’t have been any need to join issues with ASUU EKSU in the public domain
since the State Government has engaged in productive discussions with the Union since the inception
of the Administration of His Excellency, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, the Governor of Ekiti State and the
Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
However, certain portions of the ASUU press statement sought to portray the Ekiti State Government
as “ having done nothing” for the development of the University since the JKF2.0 came on board. This
assertion is totally misleading and in bad faith. The Administration of Dr John Kayode Fayemi has
pragmatically addressed all developmental issues in all the Tertiary Institutions in Ekiti State and by
special attention to the Ekiti State University. Not only are subventions released regularly, salaries are
also being paid regularly and within available resources, the massive shortfalls created by the immediate
past administration are being addressed. The State Government has also supported the University in
the successful Accreditation of all its courses by the NUC and other regulatory bodies.
While we commend the hard work of the Academic Staff and the contributions of other members of
staff of the University to the Accreditation exercises, we make bold to say that the Fayemi
Administration fully understand and has accommodated the peculiarities of the University system.
In other words, the great efforts of the State Government in restoring administrative stability, regular
monthly subventions and by extension regular salaries, the Accreditation of the College of Medicine and
the restoration of hope for Medical Students, the induction of the graduates of the College of
Medicine, the full accreditation of Law and other courses across all Faculties should not be glossed
over by ASUU EKSU in its understandable zeal for more funding for the University.
Furthermore, ASUU EKSU acted in violation of its own ethos by casting needless aspersions at the
personality of Dr John Kayode Fayemi on the establishment of the College of Agricultural Sciences and
Technology, Isan Ekiti. It is not true that the College is being funded at the expense of other tertiary
institutions in Ekiti State. It is assumed that academics should make statements that are based on facts and not mere propaganda. Ekiti State is almost the only State without a Polytechnic in Nigeria. In the
commitment of the Fayemi Administration to promote the Agro economy, Entrepreneurship and
simultaneously produce the middle level manpower required to teach students at all the massively
renovated Technical Colleges across Ekiti State, the establishment of the College became absolutely
necessary. In addition, the Ekiti State University will also have a feed from the products of the College to
promote its own contributions to the training of high level manpower for the Agricultural and
Technological advancements of Ekiti State and the global world in general.
The Ekiti State Government, once again, acknowledges the good intentions of ASUU EKSU and in
accordance with the spirit and letters of our engagements, Government shall continue to review the
funding situation of the Ekiti State University and the other Tertiary Institutions in the State. We also
urge the Union, as agreed, to continue to partner with Government in urgently exploring alternate and
additional sources to the funding of Tertiary Education in Ekiti State. On a final note, the State Government urges ASUU EKSU to partner with the University Authorities to stop the leakages in the University finances and ensure more prudence in the management of the Internally Generated Revenue of the University.
SIGNED
DR SIKIRU ENIOLA,
SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE GOV OF EKITI STATE,
TERTIARY EDUCATION.
17TH AUGUST, 2020.