Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chapter, yesterday lamented the poo management of the institution, especially infrastructure decay.
The union expressed worry over paucity of funds that had been stifling development of the school, which is under Osun and Oyo states.
ASUU said despite its efforts to get the two states’ governments fix anomalies in LAUTECH, the situation was getting worse, adding that the institution had been losing its best teachers to other schools.
It warned that it might be forced to take its members back to the trenches of industrial action.
In a statement jointly signed by Biodun Olaniyan (chairman) and Toyin Abegunrin (secretary), LAUTECH ASUU said Osun and Oyo governments should be blamed for the intellectual ivory tower’s woes.
The statement read in part: “Recall that ASUU LAUTECH branch in the press statement of July 26, 2018 warned about the impeding crisis in the university due to government’s refusal to release funds.”
“This has led to unpaid salaries. Prompt payment of salaries, which is a major motivation for productivity, has become a mirage in our erstwhile exemplary state university that was the glory of Oyo and Osun states.
“Presently, suffering and uncertainty of survival means have become the companions of staff. After the alarm raised in the release, one would expect that a sensitive government would have responded positively towards averting the crises.
“However, to our dismay, nothing was said or done on the release. It is unfortunate that about eight months after the suspension of strike in the university, all the promises of the Governing Council (GC) that led to the suspension have not been fulfilled. It is saddening to report that till now, the members of staff are being owed 10 months salary, promotion arrears, and other allowances. Salaries are paid through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) majorly from school fees.
“The union had also called on the members of the public to reach out to the visitors to do the needful. Till now, no response of any sort was received.
“Flowing from the litany of misfortunes foisted on the university by the government, as enumerated above, our union is left with no other option than to call out our members once again to return to the trenches in search of lasting solution to the crisis.
“It is painful and unfortunate that the union is being forced, at this point in time, to resume its suspended action. Members of the public should therefore blame the government, not ASUU, for this sad turn of events.”
