The national leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) has threatened to emback on a strike if the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) Prof. Biyi Daramola, continues his unprofessional attitude towards their staff.
According to the national vice president who also doubles as the chairman, Western Zone of the union, Comrade Alfred Jimoh, he accused Daramola of not providing the enabling environment to engage in a peaceful dialogue that could promote industrial relations in the institution.
Jimoh alleged that the vice chancellor allegedly disgraced him and his team in his office on Friday when they came to pay him a courtesy visit and table some issues affecting his members.
Some of these issues, according to him, included the non-payment of the salary of workers who were either demoted or had their appointment terminated but later recalled in 2012.
Jimoh alleged that the Daramola’s reaction to the issues raise was unbecoming of a person occupying the exalted office of a VC, adding, “Such an exalted office in an academic environment is supposed to be the height of everything. But what Professor Daramola did was a disgrace to the university community.
“We had barely mentioned any of these issues that brought us to his office before he started shouting. The vice chancellor does not have the patience to listen to union leaders to express their views.
We could not table all the issues we intended to bring before him for simple dialogue.
To this end, he has frustrated peaceful dialogue. Consequently, SSANU national and FUTA branch have drawn a battle line with Professor Daramola.
If Daramola will not allow dialogue on labour issues, then there will be crisis in the University.”
Efforts to get the VC’s reaction were not successful, as calls to his telephone indicated it was switched off.
