Comm for Education asks students to take protests to ASUU

Commissioner for Education in Oyo State, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela has asked the students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology to direct their agitations to the Academic Staff Union of the university.

The students whose school has been on strike since June 13, 2016 have protested several times against the government of Oyo and Osun state to pay their lecturers' salaries.

Speaking on a phone-in program on Faaji FM on Tuesday, July 27, the commissioner said the University Academic Staff are thwarting government effort to provide lasting solution to the lingering crisis.

Adeniyi who was interviewed in Yoruba language on the radio program said, the government has invited a group of auditors to look into a case of mismanagement and misappropriation of funds in the University, but the Union sent the auditors away.

He however urged the students to beg ASUU to allow the auditors do their work first.

"Instead of the students to be taking protests to government House in Ibadan and Oshogbo, they should implore the academic union to allow the auditors finish their assignment. Once that is done, both governments would do the needful" He said.

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He added that "the auditors should have finished the job by now because it's been three weeks, we expect them to have given us the reports, but they have not been allowed to finish it. If they let them (ASUU) do what they want to do, the authority would also do everything that needs to be done".

When asked how many times the governments had inspected the finance of the school, Adeniyi said there has never been a need to audit the University financial account but because the situation calls for it, that is why the government thought it necessary.

Adeniyi also cited recession as a reason for the audit, saying there is no money anywhere.

He cited Osun State as an example that the Governor, Rauf Aregbesola has not been able to pay the salaries of the state workers for some months. He also said Oyo state government too is currently owing its workers three months salaries.

However, the opening of the University might take longer than expected as the Commissioner for Education concluded that unless the auditors are allowed to do their job and submit their reports to the government, the next step on the University may not be determined.

In a bid to salvage the situation, a former Students Union president of the university, Adebayo Adeyinka and other alumni of the school have started raising funds with #fundlautech initiative.

Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho is jointly owned by Oyo and Osun state government.