LAUTECH STRIKE: Students Urge Federal Government To Intervene In Crisis
Following the crisis at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology , Ogbomoso, the Students’ Union has called for the intervention of the federal government and the institution’s chancellor, Bola Tinubu.
The union in a statement signed by its President, Abiodun Oluwaseun, said the silence of Mr Tinubu is “callous” and may not safeguard the dying educational standard of the university.
LAUTECH has in the last two years been in one crisis or the other, resulting to series of strike actions embarked upon by staff of the institution as a result of non-payment of salaries and poor funding of the university by the Oyo State and Osun State Governments.
“In recent times, the myriad of issues facing this noble institution threatens to bring the institution to its knees,” read the SU’s statement. “The funding of the tertiary institution remains the most pressing problem which has caused unstable academic calendar, infrequent payment of salaries and disconnection of electricity due to huge debts owed to providers”
It further stated that: “The problem of joint ownership is also a problem steadily eating away at the survival of the university. It becomes very embarrassing when the two state governments fail to live up to their financial obligations. It is unreasonable that the IGR being generated within the institution even covers the everyday expenses of the school.”
The union, however, demands that the governments should implement the outcome of the Wole Olanipekun-led visitation panel and recommendations of the KPMG audit report to ensure the resumption of their lecturers who went on another strike to truncate the ongoing second-semester examination of 2017/2018 session.
“While it is if negative psychological effects on students, the governments cannot continue to disrespect the valuable lives of over 35,000 students of the school”
“We call on the intervention of the Chancellor of the institution, Bola Tinubu whose deafening silence in LAUTECH crisis is callous, and the federal government for immediate rescue as to safeguard the dying educational standard the institution.
Recall that members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, from different zones of the country on Friday shut down Osogbo, the Osun State capital, as they protested the poor commitment of Osun and Oyo governments to the school.