Rescue LAUTECH, ASUU Pleads With Osun, Oyo Governments
From Yahaya Audu, Bauchi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi zone has expressed concern over the continued neglect and underfunding of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho by the governments of Osun and Oyo States, who are the combine owners of the university.
Addressing pressmen the Zonal Coordinator ASUU, Bauchi zone Professor Lawan Abubakar explained that the institution was founded on 23rd April, 1990 in the old Oyo state adding that the problems of the university started when Osun state was created from the Eastern part of the old Oyo state in 1991, the two new states then failed to agree on the sharing of assets thereby leaving the school without funding.
He said, ” Due to their deliberate insensitivity to the plight of the 25, 000 students, over 3, 000 staff and the other services offered by LAUTECH, the problems degenerated from gross underfunding to the following situations”
According to him, ” Governments of Osun and Oyo States have stopped funding the university (Zero Allocation) since 2013, the institution is being run with funds generated from school fees which is grossly inadequate to pay salaries and conduct meaningful academic exercises”. He decried.
Aside from that, the ASUU Coordinator also lamented that the neglect of the university caused persistent industrial disharmony leading to disruptions of academic activities due to unpaid staff salary arrears, promotion arrears, Earned Academic staff allowances and other sundry issues.
Abubakar revealed that the two owner states ended up by asking the university to go and generate all its financial needs, leading to imposition of N65, 000 local tuition and N72, 000 domestic tuition fees in 2011.
” The university governing council is now considering a hike of these tuition fees to over N150, 000″. He noted.
The union therefore called on the governments of Osun and Oyo States to quickly resolve the ownership issue so that the University can have one definite visitor and get appropriately funded.
