Students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, has on Tuesday, urged Governor Seyi Makinde to rescue the university from the ongoing solidarity strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the institution.
In a statement signed by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) President, Anuoluwa Adeboye and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Gabriel Love Michael, which was made available to newsmen in Ibadan, the students lamented that the industrial action is threatening their academic activities.
They said the strike was dangerous and horrendous for them adding that some state universities have opted out.
The statement read: “The strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) reaches its 78th-day today, without the Federal Government giving a listening ear or showing great concern for their complaints about better universal education system in Nigeria. These demands include the revitalization of the University System, the payment of academic earned allowances, and the movement of the payment system from IPPIS to UTAS amongst others.
“Whilst all these concerns are legitimate and in dire need of urgent solutions, it should be noted that it is all Universities in Nigeria that are bearing the brunt of these concerns and this has also made our great alma-mata LAUTECH part of this strike action.
“As the Students’ Union, we understand the spirit of ‘Aluta’ and activism and we believe that an injustice to one is an injustice to all, which is what ASUU LAUTECH is doing in solidarity with their Federal Universities counterparts. But we are all aware of the crippling effects of the incessant strike on our prestigious institution in the time past and the sores and lesions still ooze till today.
“However, due to this strike action which ASUU LAUTECH is being part of, the smoothly running academic calendar that students have been enjoying since the inception of Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration has been distorted by this solidarity strike action and as such the Harmattan Semester for 2021/2022 Session which ought to have ended on Monday, 2nd May 2022, has been paralyzed.
“Now, the involvement of ASUU LAUTECH is not only dangerous for the Ladokites but horrendous for the LAUTECH whose just reviving from the incessant strike of the past. We are poised toward the rectification of our prestigious institution and a better educational system for all.
“The present Students’ Union Government under the leadership of President Adeboye Anuoluwa has always been an advocate of a quality, unhindered and better education system, which is already being threatened by this unending strike. Some of our State University counterparts such as Lagos State University, Kwara State University and Osun State University did not join the strike and others like Delta State University and Kaduna State University had opted out of this ongoing National strike. More importantly, the Minister of State for Education in Nigeria, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba in an interview a few weeks ago says that no State university ought to be part of the ongoing strike action by ASUU.
“We are hereby calling on the Oyo State Governor; Engr. Seyi Makinde, Hon. Commissioner for Education; Barr Rahman Abdul-Raheem, Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs; Hon. Victor Olojede, LAUTECH Pro Chancellor; Prof Afolabi Omole, LAUTECH Management under Ag. Vice Chancellor and LAUTECH ASUU under Prof. Olaniran, LAUTECH Global Alumni Association led by Hon. Solomon Onilede and all relevant Stakeholders involved in this matter to help us find a means to end this solidarity strike action by ASUU LAUTECH.
“We are no longer at ease – Save us from this unending strike. We want to resume back to our campus.”
