The ongoing industrial action embarked by the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has led to the death of an asthmatic student of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE).

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This was disclosed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the university, Tajudeen Opoola on Tuesday while addressing journalists.

He explained that the asthmatic student died because he could not have access to medical care on time, as the university had been put under lock and key.

The university management while accusing SSANU of complicity in the total shutdown of activities in the institution, noting that some universities did not completely shut down like FUOYE, warned that the university management would not fold its arms and allow breakdown of law and order under the guise of strike action.

“We lost a student who had asthma this morning because he could not be taken to our clinic. The facility is under lock and key. It is true that students are on holiday, but not all of them live on campus. It would have been easier for the student to be rushed to our clinic for urgent treatment, but even our university gate was locked.

“Just this morning, I was at the Ekiti State University (EKSU), and the administrative block was open. People are going about their normal duties; you may go there to confirm. I am using EKSU as an example because it is the closest as far as this environment is concerned. In EKSU today, the clinic is functioning. Total or comprehensive strike is not going on there.

“But the same leadership of EKSU SSANU went on air yesterday to incite the public, and even led some hoodlums to invade and occupy our institution based on a false narrative that he was fed with by the chairman, SSANU, FUOYE chapter,” Mr Opoola said.

“Our own chairman was the one who gave false information to the national president. Since he gave the impression that he had been beaten and harassed, the national president allegedly directed the leadership of their unions in Ondo, Osun and Kwara to proceed to FUOYE to rescue the chairman and occupy and enforce total shutdown.

“As a university, we are established by law and we have our own autonomy. We are not going to fold our arms and allow anybody in whatever guise to come and occupy our place,” he added.

But reacting to the allegation, the chairman of SSANU, FUOYE chapter, Oluwaseun Faleye, accused the vice-chancellor, Sunday Fasina, of intimidating the leadership of the union because they refused to grant the school concession.

“You are aware of the national directive of our union that all branches should embark on a seven-day strike, beginning from 18 March.

“We have evidence of our correspondence with the management notifying them of the strike. But they felt they could impose concessions on us that we must give concessions and not follow the national directive,” Opoola said.

Meanwhile, the federal government had earlier urged SSANU and NASU to suspend the ongoing strike actions.