In a shocking development, Ekiti State University, the main state university in Ekiti State just announced the retrenching of 1,000 lecturers.
According to reports, the majority of the lecturers that were sacked are overaged and illegally employed.
Some of the affected staffs did not meet the prerequisite qualifications from primary level, and many others were over the ages of 65 and 70, as opposed to the retirement age of 61.
The school’s VC, Eddy Olanipekun, who addressed the media on the issue said “619 were illegally recruited between 2016 and 2017. Some were overage having clocked 68 or 69 but still working when the statute prescribed 65 for non-academic and 70 for academic staff.
“The workers were employed irregularly against university regulations within the period 2016-2018 thereby causing a major personnel disalignment and skyrocketing of the university wage bill by about 100% within two years.
“The situation was so bad in the university that it was the monthly contributions of members of staff who belong to some Cooperative, Thrift and Credit Societies in the university that were partly and on a monthly basis used by the then university administration to pay the salaries of those that were irregularly employed and who interestingly refused to join any of the cooperative, thrifts and credit societies.
“228 members of staff could not produce/show evidence of Primary School Leaving Certificate
(3) there were some ghost workers whose names were found on the university pay roll without being on the university nominal role.
“Some members of staff presented falsified birth and educational certificates. Some of the members of staff lacked the required basic educational qualification.
“Some members of staff were illegally retained in the university services after having been due to retire. There are other cases of overage staff. Some others lacked the required basic educational qualification.
“Consequently, after due consideration of the issues involved, and the overall best interest of the university in being properly positioned for local relevance and global competitiveness, the Governing Council of Ekiti State University has directed that those who were found to have fallen into the categories above be disengaged of their appointments forthwith in accordance with the university regulations.”
