Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has expressed concern over the silence of the institution’s Chancellor, ex-governor Bola Tinubu, the Vice Chancellor and members of the management, on the crisis rocking the institution.

ASUU Chairman, Dr. Abiodun Olaniran, who said this while speaking at the South West Group of Online Publishers media chat held in Ibadan, stated that Tinubu's silence over the matter would not help the institution

He said, “We are not comfortable with Tinubu’s silence on the matter, he has a significant role to play and we want him to quickly intervene and bring an end to the lingering crisis. Up till now the Governing Council and management are yet to say anything over the matter and this is suspicious."

The ASUU boss who was accompanied to the event by Secretary of the union, Dr. Toyin Abegunrin, said the major problem of Ladoke Akintola University is chronic underfunding, stating that the IGR generated by the tinstitution is not enough to run the affairs of the institution.

“As we speak now, LAUTECH can no longer pay for utility services as the institution has been in darkness for some weeks now because they owe IBDEC and others”, he said.

He however urged stakeholders to implore the owner states to faithfully implement the recommendations of Chief Wole Olanipekun-led committee’s report .

According to him, part of the report advocated for the immediate payment of N1.77b for the institution by September and another N1.77b to be paid between April-September 2017, so that the institution could regain back its feet.

Olaniran explained further that ASUU is not against forensic auditing of the university as being peddled in some quarters, saying “ASUU is known for probity and accountability, we are in total support of the exercise but what we are saying the thing must be done according to the dictates of the edicts of the university”.