By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
The Academic staff Union of Universities ( ASUU) Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso chapter on Wednesday declared that the poor funding of the institution by the owner states of Oyo and Osun “is killing the morale” of the institution’s workers and seriously affecting the record Best State University in Nigeria
LAUTECH ASUU in a statement issued and signed by its chairperson Dr Oladele A Olaniran, and the acting Secretary Dr P.T Abegunrin asked the owner states to wake up to their responsibilities by releasing the subventions of about 21 month owed the University.
The union maintained that of the 21months subvention, Oyo State Government is owing 8 months (May and June 2015: January- June 2016), while Osun State on its part is owing 13 months, (July- December 2014, July – December 2015, July 2016).
“In recent time, the two states; Oyo and Osun have failed in releasing subventions to the university. This has forced the university management to pay staff salaries with Internally Generated Revenue which in the first instance is not meant for that purpose. The decision of the management is to keep the University moving. However, it was observed at the beginning that such option is not sustainable and, the university management kept on struggling until the ship was brought to shore,” it said.
According to ASUU,the achievements of LAUTECH in the past may not be unconnected with adequate funding, saying, the last time it could be said the University enjoyed good funding was during the era of the duo of Chief Bisi Akande and Late Alhaji Lam Adesina as governors of Osun and Oyo state respectively”
“A good university that has been producing graduates of international standards now come to a point where the whole system is aground because school fees are not paid, a university adjudged the best state university in the country some time ago is now moving in the opposite direction of the glory”.
The union maintained that the “importance of education in development, even in governance cannot be undermined without negative consequences. The governments of the two states of LAUTCEH are therefore called upon to rise up to their financial responsibilities of the University”.
