The Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, branch of the Academic Staff Union of University, ASUU, has said that the union was worried by the continued silence of the All Progressives Congress, APC, national leader and chancellor of the institution, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over the crisis rocking the 27-year old university.
Calling on Tinubu and other stakeholders to look for ways of resolving the issue, the union said that the former Lagos governor has the clout end the lingering crisis.
LAUTECH’s ASUU Chairman, Dr. Abiodun Olaniran, who spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, at the Southwest Group of Online Publishers media chat, disclosed that the governing council and management of the university had not said anything on the face-off.
According to him: “We are not comfortable with Asiwaju Tinubu’s silence on the matter. He has a significant role to play. We want him to quickly intervene and bring an end to the lingering crisis.”
Revealing that their silence was suspicious, he said the university’s internally generated revenue (IGR) was not enough to sustain the institution.
Olaniran said: “As we speak, LAUTECH can no longer pay for utility services. The institution has been in darkness for some weeks because it owes the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and others.”
The union leader urged stakeholders to prevail on the owner-states to implement the recommendations of Wole Olanipekun-led committee’s report.
According to him, part of the report advocates immediate payment of N1.7 billion for the institution by September and stretch other payments so that the institution can reopen.
Olaniran noted that ASUU was not against forensic auditing of the university’s books, as being peddled in some quarters.
He added: “ASUU is known for probity and accountability. We support the exercise, but what we are saying is that it must be done according to the edicts of the university.”
