The Transparency Advocacy for Development Initiative, a coalition of civil society groups, has condemned the staff unions of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) over alleged roles in fomenting crisis in the institution.
Mr Yomi David, the Coordinator of the coalition, who briefed newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the protracted crisis had affected the smooth running of the institution.
He listed the unions as the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU-UNIOSUN), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU-UNIOSUN).
“As a collection of virile civil society groups, we pay particular attention to developments in the educational sector as this is the plinth on which the nation’s development thrives.
“We therefore received the news of the unions contrived crisis in UNIOSUN with a measure of patriotic worry.
“ It is on record that these strings of unsavoury news cast the image of the university in a very bad light whilst painting the university’s vice-chancellor as a man lacking in administrative finesse.
“The discreet and very independent visit to UNIOSUN by our investigative team revealed that the agitating unions had succeeded in fouling the air of ambience in the university whilst turning truth on its head and misrepresenting facts to the public,’’ he said.
On allegations of financial impropriety and high handedness leveled against the vice chancellor and the university management, David said that findings revealed contrariwise that the university management had put in place measures to cut spending.
He said the management was also adopting innovative strategies to develop the university in line with the financial prudence which the visitor to the Osun State University espouses.
The coordinator called on the visitor to the university to take proper note of the mask motives of the agitating Unions.
He also advised the agitating unions to refrain from the needless blackmail against the vice-chancellor and also desist from threatening and molesting other members of staff.
Daivd called on relevant security agencies to apprehend and prosecute appropriately members of the agitating unions who carry out action that breaches peace and security in the university.
