hehehehe........Following the ongoing crisis facing Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, the Christian Associations
of Nigeria (CAN) in Ogbomoso Zone has sent a plea letter to Federal
Government to take over the institution as a Federal University.
Academic activities in the school have been shut down for many months
now due to a faceoff between the staff of the school and the Osun and
Ondo state governments that are co-owners of the school. Lecturers
are demanding the payment of the arrears of their salary that amounts
to N7.1 billion while students have been protesting over the unending
strike.
In the letter signed by the leaders of CAN to the Federal Government on
Tuesday, May 30, 2017, the association said the ongoing situation has
become a major concern to the Heads of Churches and Christian
Association of Nigeria in Ogbomosoland.
According to the association, they are pleading with all that are
concerned especially the Federal Government, the National Assembly,
Federal Ministry of Education and Nigerian University Commission (NUC)
to urgently come to the RESCUE of LAUTECH by taking it over as a Federal
University.
Read the full letter after the cut...
THE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA,
OGBOMOSO ZONE
A PLEA TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OVER LAUTECH:
THE ONLY FEASIBLE PANACEA FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE UNIVERSITY
OUR CONCERNS
1. The lingering incessant strike action paralyzing academic activities
in LAUTECH and strangulating her administrative system has become a
matter of great concern to the Heads of Churches and Christian
Association of Nigeria in Ogbomosoland.
2. The wanton wasting away of the lives, time and future of our youths
and children who are students of this institution has become worrisome
and disturbing to all discerned minds.
3. On several occasions, students have been sent out of school as a
result of avoidable strike action spanning eleven (11) months. This has
exposed the vulnerable youngsters to unscrupulous pressures; various
types of accidents, high rate of criminality and untimely deaths while
many have become redundant and frustrated because they are not able to
constructively dissipate their pent-up energy.
4. Workers, both teaching and non-teaching are grossly impoverished as a
result of non-payment of salaries and arrears, which, of course is the
major reason for the incessant strike actions rocking the one time best
state university in Nigeria. As at now, workers of LAUTECH are being
owed eight (cool months salaries and arrears pilling up in years. Yet,
neither the Governing Council nor the proprietors of the university is
speaking or doing anything serious to address this crass
maladministration! Staff morale is generally low.
5. Apparently, the concomitant effects of the sorry state of LAUTECH on
the well-being of the staffers of the institution are far reaching:
several of them are not able to attend to their medical bills, perform
their duties as parents and meet critical domestic and social
obligations.
6. Suffice to add that the experience of JAMBITES who were supposed to
write their 2017 UTME at LAUTECH was not a palatable one and it
constitutes a disgrace to our social dignity and collective integrity as
a nation!
7. The host community is also badly hit by the wave of the crisis. The
commerce of the city is in comatose because LAUTECH staffers constitute a
bunch of her population. As elders in the host community, parents of
these LAUTECH students and patriotic citizens of this country, the lives
and future of our children are so precious to us that we cannot afford
to see them struggle with these precarious situations and challenges
that are beyond them.
8. From the look of things, the situation is beyond the power of the two
owner states, or so it seems. All efforts said to have been made before
now by the two owner states seem not yielding any desired result. As we
speak, the governments of Oyo and Osun States have refused to make the
reports of the much celebrated Wole Olanipekun Visitation Panel public!
Too many questions are begging for answers here.
9. The proposed audit exercise recently muted by the university visitors
is a welcome development. Such exercise is a conventional procedural
oversight responsibility of proprietors of growing organizations and
ivory towers, provided it is not just a ploy to tactically buy time,
disintegrate the university or sack some of these hapless employees with
reckless impunity. However, we opine that it will be counter-productive
and seriously unhealthy to further keep the students and workers away
from classroom while the audit is ongoing.
OUR HUMBLE PLEAS
1. As we appreciate and commend the hallowed efforts of the governments
of Oyo and Osun States over LAUTECH imbroglio, we plead with all that
are concerned especially the Federal Government, the National Assembly,
Federal Ministry of Education and Nigerian University Commission (NUC)
to urgently come to the RESCUE of LAUTECH by taking it over as a Federal
University.
2. This will not only rescue the lives and destinies of almost thirty
thousand (30,000) current students of the university (and several other
desperate candidates awaiting admission), it will also put a permanent
pay to the lingering crisis and rekindles the faith of all stakeholders
in the leadership of our country.
3. Ipso facto, as of today, given human nature, especially in Africa, a
joint venture stands the risk of unequal commitment sired by varied
interests. What belongs to everybody actually belongs to nobody.
Therefore, no matter how much the partners strive to pretend that these
differences do not exist, they will come to the surface. This is the
scenario playing out between Oyo and Osun in the case of funding of the
institution. Or, how does one justify a situation where Osun as at April
30, 2017 owes almost 5.4 billion naira while Oyo owes almost 2.7
billion naira to the university?
4. In the whole of Nigeria, it is only LAUTECH that has dual ownership.
Other states that found themselves in similar situations have peacefully
shared assets and liabilities. This is what Prof Mafiana – led team
from NUC tried to achieve in 2011 before the current administrations in
Oyo and Osun came to throw spanners into it. Why is it that the
university is the only monument they agreed to retain as a legacy of
their common heritage? What of Colleges of Education in Oyo and Osun
States, The Polytechnic Ibadan, and other higher institutions of
learning located within the territories of the two states at the time of
creation of Osun State?
5. It is clear to all and sundry that the experiment (Joint Ownership of
LAUTECH) has failed. The only pragmatic way - forward is to embrace
reality and allow peaceful parting of ways rather than the present
pejorative and arrant grandstanding by the two governors. Sad to find
out that there has been no capital grants to the university since almost
10 years ago! Major developments have been undertaken through Federal
Government interventions; courtesy of TetFund Scheme!
6. The world is watching! Quick, noble, decisive and positive actions
that can proffer both immediate and long-term solutions to this impasse
will be expected from the NUC, Federal Ministry of Education, the
National Assembly and other pertinent agencies of the Federal Government
of Nigeria.
LAUTECH WILL BE GREAT AGAIN!
Rev’d Dr. Israel O. Olaniyan
Chairman, Head of Churches
Bishop Bayo Akintola Sectetary, Head of Churches
Revd John Olarinde
Chairman, OCMF
Evang. Doyin Olayiwola
Chairman CAN, Ogbomoso North L.G
Revd J.O Olomoluwa
Chairman CAN, Ogbomoso South L.G
Revd G.A Adeleye
Chairman CAN, Oriire L.G
The Revd Titus Okewole
Chairman CAN, Suurulere L.G
Elder J.O Oyeniran
Chairman CAN, Ogo-Oluwa L.G
Revd. Dr. Dele Opatoyinbo
Chairman, Ogbomoso Zonal CAN
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