The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Dr. Biodun Olaniran, has said the union will not negotiate with the management of the university until N2.1bn is paid to the institution.

What happened:

• Academic staff in the institution have been on strike for almost a year over non-payment of salaries.
• It was however announced last week that the school will be opening soon.
• Senate President Bukola Saraki had also said the institution will reopen on Friday last week.
• But the lecturers have refused to resume.

What he said:

• Oyo and Osun states who both own the institution promised to pay three months salaries each.
• He said none of the states had paid over N1bn to the institution.
• The university management told the union that the money had yet to be paid to them.

The ASUU chairman said, “The university management invited us to a meeting on September 18th and we honoured the invitation. The management wanted to start discussing with us and we asked if the owner states had credited the university’s account but they said no.

“We told them there was no point going ahead with the negotiation because there was no commitment yet from the states. We told the management to inform us the moment the university’s account is credited and we would then negotiate with them.  Without paying the money to the university, we won’t negotiate.

“We are open to negotiation but the two state governments are not ready to show any commitment. They have not paid a dime to the university and they owe us 12 months’ salaries. That is one whole year, from September 2016 to September 2017.”

Azeez