THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a visitation panel to examine the crisis in Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The academic union at a press conference held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, stressed that the visitation panel, would help “correct all ills and anomalies and transform the university that both staff and students can be proud of.”

Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Akure Zone, Olu Olufayo who addressed journalists said the union would continue to cry out to the public until a solution is found to the undue hardship and victimisation meted out to the critics in the system.

He said the university which ought to be a solution centre has been hijacked by greedy individuals whose intention contradicts the lofty objectives of the ivory tower.

Touching on some of the problems bedevilling the university, Olufayo said gross violations of the law has become a norm in the university.

He cited case of the acting Bursar, Bolatito Akande, who according to him, has acted for more than 20 months contrary to six months acting period recognised by the university law.

The ASUU leader also alleged that the university has continued to pay salaries to those who have retired, including the dead.

“The University was still paying the salary of (i) a staff that left the University since 2016 (ii) a staff that died in 2016 was paid till 2018 (iii) HOD responsibility allowance to a staff that was not appointed as HOD,” he revealed.

He also blamed the Vice-Chancellor, Kayode Shoremekun for playing politics with the welfare of the students.

“It is un-charitable to play politics with the future of the students to gain popularity. We have it on good account that Vice-Chancellor; Kayode Soremekun went on radio to boast that he had increased the number of programmes in the university,” Olufayo said.

While the Vice-Chancellor had boasted to have increased the number of programmes in the university, the available lecture rooms and laboratories are inadequate to accommodate the population surge of the admitted students, he said.

“It is unfortunate that his acclaimed growth has not translated to appreciable and enviable development in line with the expectations of a 21st century university,” he added.

“It is important to inform the general public that students of the University protested over basic needs on several occasions. Unfortunately, the welfare of these students seems to be of no priority to the university administration as the cost of a bed space in the students’ hostels in the University is N50,000.”

The ICIR had reported that the Federal University is bogged down by crises and power tussle between its management and leadership of the academic union.

FUOYE was one of the nine Federal Universities established by the former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 to address low access to tertiary institutions. The University currently operates five faculties and 45 departments.