by Oluwaseun Adebolu
In what could be termed as loggerhead with members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in the Ekiti state University, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Edward Olanipekun, has said that academic activities would resume for the 100level students immediately after the completion of their ongoing registration.
Olanipekun, who spoke with newsmen in his office, said that the management, after series of meetings with union members in the institution, concluded that academic activities should resume.
However, the Chairman of ASUU, Eksu branch, Comrade Kayode Arogundade, said that his members would not return to class until their demands were met.
According to him, the University Management was reaching out to them in empty hand, while members had vowed not to back out of the ongoing strike.
“it was the university that sent their students home and they have the right to call them back but they don’t have that audacity to call us back, the school management has been reaching out to us on empty hand and it will be disheartening if we come back from strike with nothing”
In the meantime, the Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANU, Comrade Temidayo Àgùdà, said that academic activities in the University would commence in earnest.
He called on the management to intensify efforts in ensuring that members’ welfare was prioritized.
BSES crew gathered that a pocket of 100 level students have resumed with many jostling to do their registration.
The resumption was not unconnected with the directive by the school’s management that the newly admitted students should return to school.
A student, Opeyemi Awoyinka, said that the directive by the school authority rekindled the hope of many aspiring students.
On his own, Gbenga Ajayi lauded the institution’s management for the step, saying they that they were tired of sitting at home.
Another student, Kehinde Olorunoje appealed to the striking lecturers to reason with the management and consider the future of the younger generation by coming back to work.
He also encouraged government to find a lasting solution to the incessant strike by ASUU which he said had disrupted the Education Calendar in the country.
