The Ogbomoso Parapo Worldwide Home Branch, comprising the five local government areas in Ogbomoso zone, has revealed the reasons for asking the staff of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, who are from Osun State to vacate the institution’s premises.
The association had issued a seven-day ultimatum to LAUTECH staff from Osun to vacate the instituiton or face severe consequences.
Speaking on a radio programme in Osogbo, the chairman of the Ogbomosho indigenes, Hon. Saka Bello, said the association took the step due to the inability of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state to pay subventions to the institution.
LAUTECH is jointly owned and funded by Oyo and Osun state governments but the two states have been defaulting in the payment of subventions to the institution.
While Osun is said to be owing the university 14 months subvention, Oyo is owing her eight months.
Due to this, workers’ salaries have not been paid in the past seven months, while the Senior Staff Association of Universities has been on total and indefinite strike since July.
But Ogbomosho indigenes said they asked Osun workers in the institution situated in Ogbomosho to return to their state and stage a protest against Aregbesola with a view to pressurising him to pay the subvention.
Asking Osun to stop being one of the owners of the university, Bello accused the state of being responsible for the institution’s workers’ strike since it allegedly defaulted in the payment of its own part of the subvention.
Bello said, “We asked them (Osun indigenes) to vacate LAUTECH and return to Osun and let their governor know that they are suffering. How will they remain in Ogbomoso in hunger? Let them (Osun indigenes) return home and protest against their government.
“Salaries are not being paid to the workers and that’s why they are on strike. Students are now bearing the brunts by remaining at home in idleness. Oyo State government has paid N491 million but Osun did not pay anything. That is the reason we asked Osun indigenes to vacate LAUTECH because we are no longer interested in joint ownership.
“Before we issued the ultimatum to Osun workers, we had met the Oyo governor and he had paid three months. If Osun can pay also, workers will return to work. But he has defaulted in his responsibility. This joint ownership is not helping us. Oyo should take over the institution.
“Osun did not do anything in LAUTECH besides the teaching hospital in Osogbo. We are calling for the dissolution of the joint ownership,” Bello added.
He denied that there was a Supreme Court judgment allowing and validating the joint ownership of the institution.
Bello asked Osun to approach the lower court in order to enjoy joint ownership of the institution.
In a swift reaction, the media aide to Governor Aregbesola, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said that the state had not abdicated its financial responsibility to the institution.
