Students protest lecturers' unpaid salaries in Osogbo

Students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology showed up on Wednesday 24th of May in their hundreds, in Osogbo, Osun State's capital. They staged a protest in support of their lecturers and other workers, who haven't been paid salaries for nine months.

Armed with placards and aluta cries, they blamed Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State for the crisis.

Students have lost a lot of time due to incessant strikes due to non-payment of salaries. The people to be held responsible for this are the governments of Oyo and Osun States.

The Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students in the South West, Mr. Saheed Afolabi, while speaking with journalists during the protest said the attitude of the two governors to the schools had almost ruined the future of many students.

He said:

“The governors of the two states must show commitment to education and they must take the issue of LAUTECH seriously. The university was closed for about nine months in 2016 the workers were begged to resume and they did with assurances that they would be paid but after paying one of two months, the governors stopped paying subventions.

” They have not shown in any way that they have the interest of the students at heart and that is not fair. They should let the public know whatever they want to do with the university.”

The Coordinator of the LAUTECH Students, Lawal Musbau, said the university has lost its glory due to poor funding by the governors of Oyo and Osun States. This is a according to Punch.

He said:

” Even since the ascension of the current government, LAUTECH has not only degraded in value, norms, and standard but has also lost dignity amidst fellow varsities due to political instability and poor funding as caused by the two visitors, Oyo and Osun: Governor Rauf Aregbsola and his counterpart, Senator Abiola Ajimobi

“After a nine months strike action embarked on by the school’s unions, due to the non-release of monthly subventions, the two governors are yet to be alive and active to their responsibilities as the founding fathers, after spending three months in the school, the ASUU and the Joint Action Committee of the university are on partial strike. The situation has stagnated every student in a spots ice 2015 till now especially two years for a semester

“Some of our agitations are the immediate reopening of the school for academic activities; payment of subventions to enable workers to commence work.

” The governor ( Aregbesola) should endeavour to pay up to what his Oyo State counterpart paid to avoid misunderstanding in subsequent payment. While the audit is going on, the governor should pay three or six-month salary to ensure a quick resumption of academic activities.”