The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) branch has resolved to continue with the ASUU strike action despite the directives from the Oyo State governor.
The union leaders disclosed this on Wednesday, June 8 while reacting to a statement ascribed to Seyi Makinde, the executive governor of Oyo State.
Biodun Olaniran, the chapter chairman, and Toyin Abegunrin, the secretary have in a statement signed by both leaders said their members have resolved to forge ahead with the strike.
The leaders cautioned the state government not to see the lecturers and/or the students as a target.
“The congress of ASUU, LAUTECH branch was held on Tuesday, 07/06/2022. The congress deliberated extensively on the press interview granted to the honourable commissioner of education, science, and technology by Fresh FM on Saturday, May 28, 2022 and his Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde by BCOS on Saturday, June 4, 2022, respectively.
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“The university system is one (as regulated by the National University Commission). ASUU too is one. There is only one chapter of ASUU with several branches including the LAUTECH branch. Virtually all public tertiary institutions particularly public universities are beneficiaries of ASUU’s struggles in Nigeria.
“Currently, the responsibility of most state governments in Nigeria to the state-owned universities is limited to part-payment of monthly salaries. The responsibilities of capital projects have been completely abdicated and surrendered to TetFund and Needs Assessments Project of ASUU’s struggles.
“An inventory of buildings, laboratories, and workshop equipment in all public universities will confirm this! In recent times, all branches that break ASUU’s strikes have been made to forfeit the benefit/proceed of the ASUU’s struggle,” the statement read in part.
Recall that the governor of Oyo State had recently said he intentionally withheld the payment of the institutions due to the ongoing strike embarked upon by the union.
Governor Makinde in his speech stated that LAUTECH lecturers have no business joining the national body of ASUU in the ongoing strike.
However, the leaders of the ASUU LAUTECH branch responded to the governor’s statement by reiterating that all public tertiary educational institutions are beneficiaries of the ASUU struggle.
ASUU LAUTECH branch lecturers maintained that any branch that breaks the strike will lose out on the benefits of the struggle including infrastructure development.
Hence, the lecturers insisted that they will not suspend the ongoing strike until the demands of the ASUU are addressed by the federal government.
LAUTECH is one of the tertiary institutions owned by the Oyo State government.
