STUDENTS` UNION PRESIDENT ) LADOKE AKINTOLA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY ,
OGBOMOSO [LAUTECH] ON THE 17TH OF AUGUST, 2018.
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TITLE : SAVE LAUTECH
Solidarity and revolutionary greetings to all students of this great
citadel of learning [LAUTECH], fellow union on campus , Gentlemen of
the press. I find it in deep necessity to break the long overdue silence of our
great students` union. It is no longer news to the hearing , the crisis bedeviling this great citadel of learning
years been out of one crisis to the other, resulting from series of strike actions embarked upon by the academic staff unions and other staff unions of the institution as a result of non-payment of salaries
and other allowances which was inarguably a result of the non-challant attitude and lack of commitment to funding the institution by the
two owners state government of the institution (Oyo and Osun State).
Preamble
It is pertinent to note that;
Education is a social responsibility of the government to the masses and the common people, especially in a system where the level
of illiteracy remains very high. Education can be generally regarded as an instrument pivotal to the accelerated development of any growing
nation. It serves two major functions to the human society and its environs. The first of which is to transmit the culture of the people
from one generation to another so as to ensure to perpetration of that society with its cultural identity. The second is to develop the society through the development of its human capital. There seems to
be no better alternative to education in matters of human resource development.
Therefore, any nation that is desirous of continuous perpetual
existence of its people and aims to achieve respectable cultural
identity for its people as well as accelerate the qualitative development of its society must, by necessity make education its
topmost priority. Abundant research exists that clearly proves the relevance of academic education in promoting empowerment which in turn
solves all critical problems militating against any developing country. Tertiary education has become highly paramount and is considered to be a noteworthy benchmark when measuring successful
academic achievements. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho is a famed higher institution of learning highly reckoned
with in the states of Oyo and Osun and Nigeria as a whole. It has achieved the esteemed status of best state university in the country
on several occasions, meeting several valuable criteria and producing graduates of the highest caliber. However, despite these noteworthy
accomplishments, the institution suffers several problems that seems to know no end.
In recent times, the myriad of issues facing this most noble of
institution threatens to bring the citadel of learning to its knees.
Of all the issues the institution finds itself embroiled in presently, the most cogent of them requiring immediate and efficient tending to.
These matters are intertwined and primarily discussed as listed below;
1) Funding of the institution, And
2) Ownership issue
1) FUNDING OF THE INSTITUTION
The funding of the tertiary institution remains the most pressing
problem faced today by the citadel of learning. Funding of the university remains solely within the purview of the two owner states of the university. The funding of the university system is one of the
pivotal roles of the government. Some consequences of the inadequate
funding the school has been suffering from thus far include:
- Inadequate learning facilities.
- Unstable university academic calendar.
- Infrequent payment of university workers’ salaries.
- Inadequate lecture halls
- Absurdities like disconnection of the electrical system due to huge
debts owed to PHCN.
2) OWNERSHIP ISSUE
The problem of the joint ownership of the institution remains a
problem steadily eating away at the survival of the university. It steadily wears away at the growth and development of the university
and any real lasting solution to the crisis presently encountered by the institution will rest squarely with the two owner states. It
becomes a very embarrassing situation when the two state governments fail to live up to their financial obligations owed the university.
In the last twenty years, funding and ownership of LAUTECH has always been the major source of conflict between the two owner states
especially after each of the two states has established her own University, which has resulted to the neglect of the 27 years old University.
It has therefore predisposed the University to:
• Reoccurring financial crisis.
• Incessant closure of the university.
• Irregular university calendar.
In recent times, the stand of the two state governments has been that
due to several reasons, the best alternative of the university as regards funding is that the management run the institution on
Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). This proposal seems somewhat unreasonable and unfair when considering the fact that the IGR
presently being generated by all resources within the institution barely even covers the everyday expenses of the institution. Under ideal circumstances, the IGR is used to tend to matters such as:
1. Covering the cost accrued from conduction of examinations.
2. Health care concerns.
3. Payment of electricity bills.
4. Maintenance of infrastructure.
5. Purchase of equipment and laboratory items.
6. Provision of facilities such as lecture halls and laboratories
As it stands, considering the bouts suffered by the institution over the past few years, the Internally Generated Revenue is barely sufficient to cover the issues it is customarily allotted to tend to
not to mention adding new expenses.
The fact remain that for LAUTECH Internally Generated Revenue to even
become more substantial and reliable, stability must be accomplished and the incessant strikes the school suffers sporadically must stop.
Its on this note, we hereby as students of this institutions put forward our prayers and recommendations;
Recommendation
A. It has now become pertinent that the two state government
should renew their financial commitment to the university. By:
- Regular release of monthly subvention for prompt payment of salary.
- Release of capital grant for infrastructural development.
- Payment of all outstanding debts owed the university.
B. Boosting of internally generated revenue. through other means
other than any form of increment in the tuition fee payable by the
student, as we will not condone any form of hike in our tuition fees,
we hereby recommend that,
- Massive investments should be undertaken to boost the agricultural
stock of the institution, promoting the crop and animal production
level of the tertiary institution.
- The Governing Council should revitalize the university’s various
commercial ventures which has virtually gone into extinction.
In view of the earlier said above, we deem it fit to request the Oyo
and Osun State Governments to fully implement the outcome of the wole
olanipekun led visitation panel and the recommendation of the kpmg
audit report, and more importantly do all needful to ensure the
immediate resumption of the academic staff union (ASUU) of the
institution who went on another industrial action to truncate the
ongoing second semester examination, while absolutely is of negative
psychological effect of the student , and if all this fails and the
government continues to show lack commitment and absolute disrespect
to lives of the over 35000 students of this institution, we cannot but to embark on a 10,000 students match to the federal capital territory Abuja to show to the entire world the act of callousness we suffered at the hands of the government of Oyo and Osun whose priority ought to be building a brighter and formidable future for this nation but has chosen to kill it instead.
I also want to use this medium to call on our amiable chancellor of the institution, Ashiwaju Bola Hammed Tinubu for divine intervention as your deafening silence in the LAUTECH crisis is callous and also in the federal government of Nigeria for immediate rescue, as to safeguard the dying educational standard of the nation by intervening
in LAUTECH crisis.
To my fellow students of this noble citadel of learning , I am more than encouraged by the strength, the determination and efforts we have
shown in the past to save our prestigious institution from the hands
of the oppressors (Oyo and Osun State Government), Senator Isiaka
Abiola Ajimobi and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola , through Justice and
Equity.
I can`t also be more overwhelmed but show joy and be strengthened by the determination of the media to present and report the truth about the state of imbroglio and entanglement of our citadel of learning Lautech.
We stand committed to doing our utmost as students of this institution with all sense of justice, equity, and transparency that the government meet up with her responsibility and functionality to ensure
continual existence of this citadel of learning, Ladoke Akintola
University of Technology [LAUTECH] Ogbomoso and take it back to its
greater heights.
LONG LIVE LAUTECH
LONG LIVE OYO AND OSUN STATE
LONG LIVE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
ALUTA CONTINUA !!! VICTORIA ASCERTA !!!
This is Nigeria!
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