By Kolade Larewaju and Gbenga Akinwunmi
ABEOKUTA—FOLLOWING the failure of the Ogun State Government to implement the new salary structure agreed by the government and Academic Staff Union of Universities in 2009, the two state government owned Universities, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye,  OOU, and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, TASUED,  on Friday began an indefinite strike.

ASUU Chairman, OOU chapter, Dr. Nasir Adesola, explained that while  the university management recently sacked 148 academic staff, over 50 others had voluntarily resigned.

Adesola who spoke at a  meeting organized by the ASUU National Executive Council, NEC, in support of the two state universities in Ago-Iwoye,  announced the resolve of the lecturers to embark on strike.

Adesola said: “Our University is under-educating students. These students are taught two weeks before examination because the university is lacking in the number of lecturers.

Recently, the school lost the MBA accreditation for Law programme and we may lose more accreditation if care is not taken. Since 15 months after the Federal Government reached an agreement with the ASUU, the State Government and the management have not honoured the agreement.

They owed us over six month salaries and arrears. Yet they have jacked up the school fees. This is in-human because the government is gradually telling us that education in public schools must be paid for.

When you go to university, it is not for you but to develop the country. The management is being insincere with the number of the lecturers in the school, they are telling you that we are over staffed but that is not the true situation.”

He explained that the NEC of ASUU had granted permission for the strike saying “NEC granted the branch, permission to embark on a full blown strike action to pressure the State Government to implement the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement.”