Poor funding will cripple Ondo varsity, SSANU tells Akeredolu

 The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, branch, has lamented that the university is suffering from a paucity of funds.

The union appealed to the state Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, to pay attention to the institution in terms of financing, saying insufficiency of funds is affecting the development of the institution.

This was contained in a statement issued by the SSANU Chairman of the varsity, Mr Dayo Temowo, on Wednesday.In the statement, titled, ‘Underfunding will cripple our university,’ Temowo said the union was taken aback by the decision of state government to be releasing 50 percentage of subvention for the school.

He said, “It is important to say apart from the fact that backlogs of subvention being owed the tertiary institutions in years back, payment of full subvention cannot even pay half of the salaries and other expenses of a working university as of today.

“On the funding of the three state universities, it is important to note that three universities in Ondo State are not equal to one compared to any other state universities in terms of infrastructure, personnel and other constituents of a university in Nigeria, hence, underfunding these universities in any guise is inexcusable.

“We finally appeal to the Ondo State Government to reconsider her stance on funding these universities properly with full and timely release of subventions to avoid our ivory towers being crippled.”