The Chairman of the National Association of Academic Technologists, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, branch, Mr Matthew Oluwaniyi has said the late veterinary technologist, Mr Olabode Olawuyi, by a nine-year-old lion on Monday was paid N5,000 as hazard allowance.
The NAAT chairman made this known in an interview with The PUNCH.
He said, the school was supposed to re-evaluate the deceased hazard allowance from N5,000 to N30,000 as agreed by the union but that process was on probably till his death.
He said, “And how much is this hazard allowance? Just N30,000 per month. Even before that was approved, it was a thug of war. Some persons, they don’t still get their allowance as we speak.
“Unfortunately because of the salary scale the school was moved to, they did not re-evaluate Olawuyi’s own hazard allowance. His own hazard allowance was N5,000 per month then. They were supposed to re-evaluate it to meet up with the N30,000 as agreed by the union but that process was on probably till his death.”
He added that the zoo was in a bad shape but was restructured with the help of the deceased.
“The truth, before now the zoo was in a very bad state, but through his contacts, connections, and working with the university, they got into a partnership that improved especially the feeding system of the lions.
He however said it was not poor feeding of the animal that led to the attack, “Personally, I don’t think it was about the poor feeding of the lion, it is just the natural instinct of wild animals to attack. The lion in question has never attacked anyone before this last incident.
“They do feed them dead animals and not living animals. It is just the natural wildlife instincts in them and not just about the feeding. They did a good job especially Mr Olawuyi in feeding the animals.”
It would be recalled that authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State have shut down the zoological garden on the institution’s campus following the killing of a veterinary technologist, Mr Olabode Olawuyi, by a nine-year-old lion on Monday.
