LAUTECH: ASUU asks Aregbesola, Ajimobi to resign

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Benin Zone, has called for the resignation of the Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi and the Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, for their inability to pay salary of the staff of Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso.

According to a statement signed by Fred Esumen, the ASUU zonal coordinator, he expressed the union displeasure over the ‘lackadaisical’ attitude of both state governments to the school.

Condemning their negligence, Mr. Esumen said in an ideal situation, when a government engages workers, the workers deserve to be paid their wages.

“This is not the case in LAUTECH where the two visitors to the university have shied away from their responsibilities and have conspired to deny the workers in that university their rights to wages.

“It is, therefore, our view that what is left for these visitors is to honourably resign for not meeting up with what is expected of their offices.

“For the umpteenth time, our union ASUU emphasised that education is the fulcrum upon which growth and development of any nation revolve. Yet, education is brutally neglected by our leaders in Nigeria.

“The case of LAUTECH is very pathetic; owned by the two states of Oyo and Osun, yet lacks so much, especially at the level of funding.

“In fact, the chronic underfunding of LAUTECH has manifested itself in so many ugly forms viz over-bloated students population, outrageous fee regimes, poor state of infrastructural facilities, inadequate staff development programme, unpaid promotion arrears and unpaid salaries of workers running into 10 months, etc.

“Rather than redress the abnormally of underfunding, the two states have since established additional universities, each in their respective states,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES reported last week Wednesday that ASUU disrupted the ongoing second semester examination for 2017/2018 academic session at the institution.