Varsity Lecturers Task Kwara Gov to Pay Allowances, Subvention

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kwara State University branch yesterday appealed to the state Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to fulfil his promises to the union’s demands on the  payment of the accumulated Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) to its staff and restore subvention to the institution.

A statement issued in Ilorin by the union and signed by its branch Chairman, Dr. Abdulganiyu Shehu Salau, stated that the recent removal of fuel subsidy is seriously undermining the survival of academics in the university and the university itself at large.

The union had met with Governor AbdulRazaq on the two critical issues of the EAA and restoration of the subvention on August 20, 2022, during which he promised to settle the accumulated EAA payment and restore subvention to KWASU immediately fuel subsidy was removed in June 2023.

It should be noted that there are three state-owned universities in the Ibadan zone of ASUU namely: KWASU, Malete,   Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, and Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Osogbo.

Among the three state-owned universities, UNIOSUN gets N150million from the Osun State Government on monthly basis while LAUTECH gets N295million on monthly basis as subvention from Oyo State Government.

“Unfortunately, KWASU is the only university with zero subventions, and this has continued for almost a decade,” they said.

The statement further stated that: “Presently, in order to carry out its mandates of Teaching, Research and Community Development, KWASU relies heavily on internally generated revenue and loans from commercial banks with two-digit interest rate.

“The zero-subvention policy of Kwara State Government has adversely affected the university and its staff in no small measure as well as the quality of academic services offered the students.

“The union hereby appeals to the government to restore KWASU subvention and pay the accumulated EAA without delay to its staff, especially now that the aftermath of the removal of fuel subsidy is seriously undermining the survival of academics in the university and the university itself at large.”