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The alumni association of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso, has urged striking unions of the institution to coperate with management and owner-state governments in the resolution of the ongoing financial and administrative crisis.
The appeal comes as the school plans to resume academic activities on Friday, January 27, after more than eight months of closure.
Workers unions in the institution, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologist (NAAT) and Non Academic Staff of University (NASU), had embarked on an indefinite strike in protest of months of unpaid salaries.
The alumni, in a press release jointly signed by the National President, Babajide Bewaji, General Secretary, Oloso Kamal Kolawole and the PRO, Owoyokun Samson, commended Governors Abiola Ajimobi and Rauf Aregbesola of Oyo and Osun states respectively for the temporary palliative measure in respect of the N500million grant released.
On Wednesday, the institution’s ASUU vowed not to go back to work, stating that the N500million released to pay two months salaries was just a ploy to lure workers back to work and forget about the salient issues affecting the university.
READ: LAUTECH ASUU rejects two months salaries, refuses to resume
The alumni urged the workers unions to come to terms with the reality of the economic and financial situations and create an enabling environment for the restoration of academic activities while other grievances and agitation are discussed on a round-table with the school management.
The statement reads: “While we are grateful for the gesture of the two states, we are appealing to them to device means by which subvention would be provided continually without delay. The five hundred million naira released to the institution to pay two out of the eight months salary arrears should be a point of commencement, the two houses of assembly should help look into how the budgetary allocation to LAUTECH would be able to meet its financial obligations by commencing the enactment of a bill to channel a token in percentage of local governments allocation from the two states to fund the university adequately.
“We thank all the unions -ASUU, SSANU, NAAT, NASU, parents and guardians most especially the ever reasonable Ladokites for their perseverance while the whole issue lasted. The students also should cooperate with the academic and non academic staff to ensure a hitch-free resumption”