Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), yesterday asked the Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, to impress it on the Vice Chancellor of LAUTECH, Professor Mojeed Liasu and the Chairman Governing Council, Professor Deji Omole, to pay seven years arrears of earned academic allowances owed academic staff of the institution.
This is just as the union blamed the leadership of the university of denying academics their due promotion arrears, which is capable of dampening their morale.
The union in a release jointly signed by the Chairman, Professor Biodun Olaniran and Secretary, Professor Toyin Abegunrin, titled “LAUTECH Administration: A Slave Driver,” put the amount being owed them at over Five Billion Naira.
The ASUU leaders said their members have lost confidence in the university administration led Liasu and the Deji Omole-led Governing council to pursue their welfare.
Pleading with the governor to intervene immediately before the situation would degenerate into further crisis in LAUTECH, the union said: “It is rather unfortunate that the 2016 and 2017 avoidable crisis started because the then administration refused to address arrears of EAA. Apparently not learning from history, the present university administration and council are now towing the same path.”
The duo of Olaniran and Abegunrin further said that “our union cooperated with the administration to realise the debt from students with the understanding that our EAA and promotion arrears will be settled, knowing fully well that at least one third of it could be paid. However, as against our understanding, the university administration went ahead to appropriate the realised money on acclaimed capital projects and none of the two arrears was attended to.”
While urging the governor to wade in on time, the ASUU leaders said: “We, therefore, call on the Visitor, His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde, that we have lost confidence in the university administration led by Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor M.O. Liasu and Professor Ayodeji Omole-led Governing Council to address our welfare matters. In this regards, to avoid repeat of such avoidable scenario, he should intervene now”
