Students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso have called on governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) to fulfil their financial obligations on the institution in order to forestall further strikes and crises in the institution.
The students while urging the two governors not to waste more time but resolve the ownership crisis of the institution, declared that such was necessary in order to save the institution from recurring strikes and crises.
President, Students Union Government (SUG) LAUTECH chapter, Comrade Abiodun Oluwaseun while addressing a press conference at the weekend in Ogbomoso declared that the incessant crises and strikes in the institution were beginning to have psychological effects on the students and workers of the institution.
Oluwaseun while speaking further appealed to the two state governors to do all that was needful to ensure immediate resumption of the Academic Staff that are still on strike.
He said, “The incessant strike actions embark upon by both teaching and non-teaching staff of the institution is already having physiological effect on us.
“If the government continues to show lack of commitment and disrespect to the lives of over 3,500 students of the institution, we cannot but embark on a 1 million student march to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to show the entire world the callousness we suffer in the hands of the governors of Oyo and Osun whose priority ought to be building a brighter and formidable future for this nation but has decided to kill it instead”.
Oluwaseun while describing the continuous silence of the Chancellor of the institution, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a callous act, appealed to him and the federal government to immediately rescue the institution to safeguard the “dying educational standard of the nation with their timely intervention”.
He recommended the “immediate release of grants for infrastructural development and payment of salary arrears and other allowances” as well as “regular release of monthly subvention for payment of salary of workers”.
He also called for, “Full implementation of the outcome of Wole Olanipekun led visitation committee and recommendation of KPMG audit report, initiate more investments to boost the economy and Internally Generated Revenue of the institution”.
He added that, “In the last twenty years, funding and ownership has always been the major source of conflict between the two owner states especially after when each of the two states has established her own university which resulted into neglect of the 27-year-old university”.
While reaffirming the commitment of the students to ensure that the institution regains its lost glory, Oluwaseun said, “We stand committed to doing our utmost as students of this institution with all sense of justice, equity and transparency to ensure that the government meet up with their responsibility and functionality to ensure continued existence of the citadel of learning and take it back to its greater height”.
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