Federal University of Technology Akure(FUTA) shuts down

AUTHORITIES of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), on Wednesday, closed down the institution, following an industrial action embarked upon by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of the university.

Apart from this, the school authorities also suspended eight members of staff, including the chairmen of the two unions, Ben Chukwuma and Makinde Faola, over allegations of insubordination and assault.

The vice chancellor of the university, Professor Adebiyi Daramola, told newsmen on Wednesday that the institution was shut down for the second time in three months, as the condition on campus was no longer conducive for the students.

According to him, the senate of the institution had an emergency meeting on Tuesday evening, where it was decided that the school should be shut, “because the leadership of the two unions have shut down access to all municipal facilities like water and electricity.”

He said the two unions, on Monday, resumed the strike they suspended in April, over the non-payment of hazard allowance to their members.

He, however, expressed dismay at the attitude of the members of the two unions, who were said to have locked out members of other unions that were ready to work on campus.

On Wednesday morning, the two gates leading to the university, as well as the gate of the power house, were put under lock, while items in black pots suspected to be fetish and palm fronds were put at strategic places in the campus, apparently to scare workers away.