LAUTECH Students Protest Workers Strike, Urge Aregbesola, Ajimobi to Pay Workers

By Abdulrafiu Agboola

Students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso on Monday thronged major roads in Osogbo to protest the industrial action embarked upon by the workers of the university and the Teaching Hospital in Osogbo.

Both Academic and Non-Academics staff of the university and the teaching hospital had over a month ago embarked on strike because of the nonpayment of their salaries.

LAUTECH is jointly owned by Osun and Oyo states government and they are responsible for the payment of the institution’s workers.

The student of the university lamented that the lingering industrial action of the workers is wasting their time and delaying their academic programmes.

The students who protested under the aegis of “Concerned Students” defiled the early downpour in Osogbo to bring their agitation to the notice of the public.

They had during the weekend appealed to the Governor of Osun state, Rauf Aregbesola and his Oyo state counterpart, Abiola Ajimobi, to come together and find a solution to the workers strike.

While addressing news men at the popular Orita-Olaiya in Osogbo on Monday, the convener of the students, Eze Raymond, said that the industrial action has paralyzed academic activities in the university.

According to the students, managements of the university had refused to release materials for the examination that was slated for May 17, 2016 and they did not attend to students since then.

They explained that Senior Staffs Association of Nigerian University (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) had declared strike, while the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), has kept silence.

The concerned students explained further that they have met some royal fathers including the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, who assured them of urgent intervention.

They however appealed to the two governors to pay the Earned Academics Allowance of ASUU members, which they alleged was paid last in 2012.

“We urged the two governors to settle our lecturers so as to open our school for semester examination.

“Programme that we should ordinarily complete in five years is becoming seven years due to incessant strike occasioned by the inability of the government to pay workers salary.

“We want to appeal to all stakeholders in the education sector to intervene and appeal to the two governors to come together and find an urgent solution to reopen our institution.

After the protest on Monday, the students were led to the Governor’s office with policemen and Department of State Security men.