The Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko Chapter, Ondo State has called on Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, to compel the authorities of the institution to constitute a proper governing Council of the institution, in line with the law establishing it.
This was contained in a Press Statement signed by the ASUU Branch Chairman, Dr Sola Fayose and made available to newsmen, demanding that the proposed meeting of the Council slated for Monday 27 and Tuesday 28, March, 2017, should be put on hold pending the re-constituted of the highest governing body at the institution.
According to ASUU the tenure of most Council’s members planning to attend the proposed meeting had expired and their attendance at the meeting on the said date would amount to illegal gathering.
The Statement reads, “Whereas ASUU-AAUA recognises the need and right of this highest organ of the University to meet to take decisions on matters affecting the University on all fronts, the Union is, nonetheless, compelled to raise issues with the meeting of the University Council holding on 27th and 28th March, 2017”.
“The Union hereby declares, unequivocally, that the proposed meeting constitutes an illegality as the Council is at present not properly constituted. For the purpose of definiteness, the Union observes that all the representatives of the University Senate and congregation on Council have since exhausted their tenures on Council.
“Therefore, anybody or persons parading themselves as representing these important spheres are mere impostors, as they are doing so illegally”.
ASUU also commended Akeredolu for not dissolving the Council despite change power in the state, saying, “While we commend the Visitor to the University, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, for not including the Council of the University in the boards dissolved recently, in line with the position of our Union, we would plead that all the necessary changes in the domain of the Visitor, and the elections of internal members be done timorously for the University Council to be properly constituted as prescribed by the Law setting up the University”, the Union opined.
The Statement read further, “We should be all reminded that before the present Council, whose tenure ends soon, was inaugurated, the University had no Council for several months. Even though such an interregnum is condemnable, we do strongly believe that no necessity should be allowed to desecrate the existence of the University, through the violation of the statue that gives it life”.