Oyo Indigenes Protest Joint Ownership Of LAUTECH, Ask Osun To Withdraw

Some members of staff of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, under the aegis of Oyo Workers Forum today staged a peaceful protest against the attitude of the government of the state of Osun on the institution.

They, however, demanded for total withdrawal Osun state government from ownership of the institution.

The group who are indigenes of Oyo state, according to National Insight, attributed the crisis rocking the institution to poor attitude, the financial commitment of government of the state of Osun to the sustainability of the institution jointly owned by Oyo and Osun.

During the protest, the workers carried placards with various inscriptions like “Osun don’t destroy the lives of our students,” “Osun state is the problem for LAUTECH,” “Osun state leave LAUTECH alone, LAUTECH weeps,” “Joint ownership is a crime against LAUTECH,” “Oyo state must take over LAUTECH,” “Governor Seyi Makinde please rescue us in LAUTECH,” “LAUTECH staff are hungry,” “No more joint ownership again,” and others.

The protest started from MKO Abiola hall where they held a meeting, proceeding down to the school main gate to ‘under G’.
The forum chairman, Chief Adediran Adeniyi, lamented the attitude of Osun state government towards the ownership of the institution, describing it as frustrating and not helping it to grow.

“Since 2013, Osun state has been owing us salary arrears which they have not paid till date; whenever it is their turn to pay subventions, they will give one excuses or the other at times they beg us to not to downtool till they have money to pay, this we canno longer take Governor Seyi Makinde should please take over the institution before Osun state destroys it.”

The chairman maintained that the forum has consulted all the stakehokders inOyo State including the traditional rulers, everybody is tired and the only solution is departure.

“We Oyo and Osun State indigenes are working like brothers and sisters so they wont have problem if Osun state withdraws because university is a universal place, we are not fighting any management or anybody; all what we want is Oyo to take over LAUTECH.”