LAUTECH workers urge Makinde, Oyetola to resolve institution’s crisis

Worried by the perennial ownership crisis rocking Ladoke Akintola University Technology ( LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, workers at the institution’s College of Health Sciences, Osogbo on Monday called on  the owner states governors, Mr Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Mr Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), including other stakeholders to permanently resolve the crisis rocking the institution.

The workers, majority of who are indigenes of Osun also called on Osun and Oyo state governments to caution Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ajagungbade Oladuni Oyewumi and indigenes of the town from parading themselves as the sole owners of the institution.

Staging a protest against what they termed protracted crisis bedevilling institution, the workers displayed placards with various inscriptions such as; “Soun Palace Not the Seat of LAUTECH Administration”, “LAUTECH is Not Ogbomoso Property”, “Oyo, Osun Governments come to Roundtable Discuss Progress of LAUTECH”, Governor Oyetola Kindly save us from likely Xenophobic Attacks at Ogbomoso”, among  others.

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Addressing a press conference on behalf of her colleagues, Mrs  Fapohunda Olajumoke alleged that economic importance of LAUTECH is being monopolised by Ogbomoso, calling on both Oyo and Osun governments to prevail on Soun of Ogbomoso to stop interfering in the daily administration of LAUTECH.

According to her: “despite all intimidation from Ogbomoso indigenes, there is no occasion that indigenes of Osun who are LAUTECH staff responded or retaliated. Osun and Oyo governments should prevail on the Soun of Ogbomoso to stop interfering in the daily administration of LAUTECH.

“Inequity in the distributions of faculties, programmes and projects of the university had been a major challenge and the need to address such issues is pertinent. The university has seven (7) Faculties with only one (1) which is the Faculty of Clinical Science wholly situated in Osun. Staff ratio is extensively skewed to Oyo, despite that Osun pay salaries.

“We should know that since 2013, Oyo government had stopped paying salaries of the Teaching Hospital in Osun which is only the hospital recognised by the edict of the university. Economic importance of the institution is monopolised by Ogbomoso which is worrisome,” Fapounda remarked.