Crisis is looming  at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, as staff of the institution have threatened to down tools over what they called ‘deliberate refusal’ to remit over N200 million monthly deductions of four cooperative societies to their coffer.

The affected  cooperative societies: are Academic Staff Cooperative Society, Senior Staff Cooperative Society, General Cooperative Society and Security Staff Cooperative Society.

The cooperative societies were being owed about N40m, over N60m, about N75m, and N30m, respectively.

It was gathered that the accrued funds were deductions from June 2019 till date.
A member of the society who spoke under the condition of anonymity said plans are up by the four societies to stage a showdown with the university management.

She explained, “My salary is about N80,000 monthly and I have approved that the university should deduct N45,000 from it monthly and remit it to the cooperative that I belong to.It’s unfortunate that the university failed to remit the money.

The most ridiculous is that those who don’t belong to cooperative society receive their salaries in full.

“I joined the cooperative society to help myself when I am in dire need, but now I have approached the cooperative for loan over six months ago and there’s no money there”.

It was gathered that some members of the societies, who are due for one medical attention or another are being stranded as a result of lack of funds in the societies, while some members were said to have started withdrawing their memberships from the societies.

All staff unions that are supposed to take up the issue have been bought over by the management as their leaderships have traded their mandates with the management with appointments, project contracts and promotions.

Another member of one of the societies also expressed bitterness over the development and called on the Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led Ondo State government to come to their rescue.

He said, “For the first time in the history of AAUA cooperative society, none of the societies could afford to purchase foods items for their members in this festive period; and majority of us have our money being held on to by the management because it has our mandate to deduct from the source”

 Head of Media and Protocol Department of the AAUA, Mr Victor Akinpelumi that he was not sure if the allegations were true.

Akinpelumi explained that the leaders of various cooperative societies in AAUA are in the best position to give true information about the issue.