By Adebayo Animasaun
The proposed resumption of activities by the management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso on Tuesday has suffered another setback as the striking lecturers have vowed not to resume academic activities until their salary arrears are cleared and released to them.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that the management had on Sunday, October 1 assured students and the general public of prompt resumption by Tuesday (today) October 3.
The Chairman Governing Council of the institution, Prof. Dayo Afolabi had assured the lecturers that they would start receiving salaries from last Friday: “What we did was that we have spoken with the two Governors who have started bringing in their quota and the information we have is that the money would be in before the end of today (Friday), so before the close of work, we would start paying salaries and also the management would meet with the staffs,” Afolabi said as at Friday last week.
However, in an exclusive phone interview with TheNewsGuru.com on Tuesday (today), the Zonal Coordinator of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Mr. Olusiji Sowande, said as at press time, they were yet to receive any notification of salaries from their respective banks.
Sowande noted that the salary arrears was just one of the 11 demands the union presented to the university management and visitors (Governors Ajimobi and Aregbesola) before embarking on the state. He noted that other issues raised were not accorded adequate attention.
In his words: “The two governors (Ajimobi and Aregbesola) promised to clear the salaries in tranches beginning from today. At the last meeting we held with the management, the information passed to us was that the money was still being expected from the governors. And as I speak to you now, (Tuesday), we are yet to receive any notification from the banks that the money has been paid. However, it might drop tomorrow but right now it’s not yet paid.
Sowande noted that aside the salary issue, the governors and management must be willing to properly fund the university. He noted that most the courses are due for accreditation and without adequate funding plans, the university might plunge into another crisis sooner than expected.
He spoke further: ” Our demands are very clear. We are owed 12 months salary arrears and as at now, nothing is offered yet. Salary is just one out of about 11 demands that led us to embark on the strike. Nobody is talking about the arrears of promotion, pension, health insurance and other critical issues that we raised. Let’s even leave that aside. If we resume today, we are resuming on zero level because all our courses are due for accreditation. So if we resume without anybody talking about how to fund accreditation, we are only deceiving ourselves. And most importantly, we are saying that even if they pay us the 12 months salary arrears at a go, that is good for the surface of it but how are we going to ensure that LAUTECH is properly funded on a sustainable basis by the two governors? That is what led us to this crisis in the first place and until these issues are holistically resolved, we might soon be heading to a bigger unrest in the nearest future,” Sowande said.
A distressed student of the institution who identified himself as John said he was disappointed that the unions and the management are yet to resolve the crises that have lingered for too long.
John in a phone conversation with TheNewsGuru.com said for over two years now he has remained in same level while his mates in other public institutions had moved ahead.
‘I am sincerely tired. I have been in 200Level for over two years now as result of this unstable academic calendar in LAUTECH. Most of my mates in other institutions are either in their finals or semifinals. They said academic activities will resume today and here we are with nothing to show. As at today, while we came to school with high hopes that school will resume, lecture halls were deserted and there was no sign of anything serious happening in the next couple of weeks. just don’t know why things are like this in this country. If these issues are not resolved soonest, I might be forced to seek transfer to another institution or start all over. Its now becoming unbearable,” John said with a sorrowful voice.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that LAUTECH was already enmeshed in internal wranglings before ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike that lasted for over a month. While the strike was suspended about two weeks ago and academic activities fully resumed in other public institutions, the ASUU-LAUTECH issued a stay at home order to its members pending the time that the university management and visitors will meet their demands.
Efforts by TheNewsGuru.com to reach the registrar of the institution, Mr. Agboola was not successful as at press time as he was said to be in a management meeting.