Few hours after the Kwara State council of the Nigeria Labour Congress held a solidarity rally in Ilorin on Tuesday to support the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, the management of the Kwara State University, Malete, has disowned views expressed by its local chapter of the union at the rally.
The local chapter of ASUU through its chairman, Dr. Shehu Abdulganiyu Salau, had at the rally, criticized the State government, the owner of the institution for starving the school of the needed funds to run the University.
He complained of stoppage of subvention, which he claimed had affected the school adversely and appealed to the State government to change the narrative in that respect to save the institution from dying.
But a few hours after the rally, which lasted for about four hours in Ilorin, the Management of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, dissociated itself from the views and banner displayed by the KWASU ASUU.
In a statement on Tuesday night, signed by the Registrar of the institution, Dr (Mrs) Wasilat Sallee, and made available to DAILY POST in Ilorin, the KWASU management called on the public to disregard the views expressed in the banner, as they did not represent the views of the management.
The statement said in part, “The views expressed in the banner do not represent the views of KWASU Management and should be disregarded.
“The University, since inception, has enjoyed the support and goodwill of its proprietor, the Kwara State Government. The University has many capital projects undertaken by the Government.
“Recently, the government under the able leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, committed huge funds to the completion of the Osi and Ilesa Baruba campuses of the University. The University has also been assured of intervention funds once the dwindling finances of the government improves.
“The University appreciates all these gestures of the Kwara State government and will continue to support the efforts of the government in positioning the University for local and international competitiveness.”