Police Arrest Oau Staff for Attempting to Kidnap Vice Chancellor

Frosty relationship between the management of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Osun State and the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) of the institution worsened on Monday  as some members of the workers’ body were accused of a plot to kidnap the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bamitale Omole, and some of his top staff.
For over a year now, the authorities of the institution had been at loggerhead with NASU over the latter’s demand for the payment of 15 per cent CONTISS salary, the payment of two step salary increase known as “Parity” between academic and non-academic staff salary scales as approved by the Federal Government and general welfare of workers, among others.
Already, NASU members have began an indefinite strike action to press home their demands, insisting that they will not go back to work until the demands are met.
However, both parties have continued to point accusing fingers at each other over the imbroglio, the latest being a statement, alleging threat to Omole’s life and some of his management team, an allegation which was, however, denied by the NASU Chairman, Comrade Wole Odewumi.
A statement by one Richard Oyewole, who claims to be the Chairman of the “Committee for uninterrupted Academic Session”, accused the NASU leadership of plotting to kidnap Omole and some other principal officers of the university,  saying: “The action was to blackmail the university management to pay some illegal allowances not backed up by Federal Government circulars.”
Oyewole’s statement reads in part: “Creditable information at the disposal of our correspondence indicates that selected members of NASU, in their strategic  and tactical planning committee, have concluded plans to kidnap the Vice Chancellor and other principal officers of the university to pay some illegal allowances not backed up by the government circulars.”
“In the last one week, NASU activities on OAU campus have been confrontational and disruptive. On Friday, 22nd June 2012, NASU disrupted academic activities on campus and prevented principal officers from entering their offices and also harassed students who were preparing for their examinations.”
NASU, according to the statement, was demanding for the payment of two step salary increase called “Parity” between academic and non-academic staff salary scales approved by the government that has been a bone of contention between NASU national and the Federal Government since 2001.
Another demand of the union, according to the statement, was “payment of 15 per cent CONTISS salary which also has no government backed-up circular, and which the university authority has asked the NASU members to produce the relevant circulars if they have.”
The statement added that students of the university had also appealed to the union to allow them conclude their ongoing examinations but were threatened to be attacked if they show up for the examinations.
But, Odewumi denied any attempt to kidnap the Vice Chancellor or any principal officer of the university, saying the institution’s management was only being chased by its action. His words:  “Nobody is kidnapping anybody. It was a mere flimsy allegation which has no basis or substance and cannot hold any water. The management is only feeling the guilt for the deeds committed
“How can we get our demands if we kidnap the Vice-Chancellor who is in a position to address our demands? I think it will amount to a fruitless and senseless exercise and we are not senseless.
“There is no going back on the strike we had commenced. The university management resorted into all sorts of lies just because they want us to succumb, but we have vowed never to succumb. We shall not relent until all our 13-point demands are met,” he concluded.
According to him, the union resolved to embark on strike when it became obvious that the management was not ready to address the demands presented to the Vice-Chancellor over a year ago, saying that the union had on two occasions issued the management ultimatum that were ignored.
While denying alleged attempt to disrupt the ongoing examinations in the university, Odewumi noted that some members of the union are also students and cannot, therefore, embark on such act.
He, however, insisted that members of the union would not resume work until all their demands are adequately met by the institution’s management.