The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has condemned the governments of Oyo and Osun over the incessant crisis in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), saying they have failed woefully as governments.
The group said the failure of the two governments to fund the institution adequately, with resultant non-payment of salaries of workers and non-accreditation of courses, which have resulted in the incessant closure of the university, were signs of insensitiveness of the governments of Oyo and Osun states.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the National Coordinator of the group, Hassan Soweto.
“That both Oyo and Osun state governments which have enormous resources between them that can fund LAUTECH adequately are not able to do so ought to be a big shame to the All Progressive Congress (APC) which produced both governments.
”Unfortunately, nothing in their conducts show that either of these two governors nor their political party have any shame at all. For instance, Governor Aregbesola of Osun state is leaving the position by the end of this year. Most certainly, LAUTECH will constitute a major part of his legacy of destruction and despoliation while in the saddle of the State.
” As for Governor Ajimbi of Oyo state, his anti-student and anti-public education disposition is legendary. Both in our opinion are well qualified to take the joint-award for the most anti-public education governors of the year.
“We hereby call on the mass of working people and students in Osun and Oyo states to begin to confront these two governments with mass struggle lest they destroyed LAUTECH which provides university education to tens of thousands as well as jobs to several academic and non-academic workers altogether.
“The ERC also commends the education workers and students of LAUTECH for their relentless struggle overtime to save the institution. We pledge our support for this struggle and shall continue to offer solidarity because saving LAUTECH is the only way to save the jobs of workers and prevent public education from being denied thousands of students”, the statement said.
