All is not well with LAUTECH, ASUU tells Makinde

Urges gov to increase subventions, pay earned academic allowances

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, yesterday, appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to improve welfare packages for lecturers whose efforts improve the ranking of the institution.

In a statement by chairman of the union, Prof. Biodun Olaniran, ASUU pleaded with Makinde to jack up the monthly subvention, which currently stands at N295 million.

Olaniran said: “Since 2020, LAUTECH has witnessed noticeable improvement in terms of finance and hence, stable academic calendar. However, towards the end of year 2021, some setbacks began to creep in. This may be attributed to inadequate funding of the university by the owner-state. In recent times, LAUTECH has been rated as the best state university in Nigeria.

“This feat was achieved as a result of the inputs of the academic staff members in terms of their research outputs and publications. The consequence of this is an upsurge in the number of candidates choosing LAUTECH as their first choice university.

“To maintain and improve on this status, it is very expedient that a stable academic calendar is sustained, and this can only be achieved by prompt payment of salary, promotion of members as and when due, and payment of promotion arrears, among others.”

He said the government should see to the challenges, which lecturers are facing on welfare, particularly non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances from 2013/2014 to 2020/2021 sessions.

“Our union, therefore, urged the Oyo State Government, particularly the Visitor, to provide adequate subvention to the university. We also call on the handlers (University Administration and the Governing Council) to prioritise the welfare of workers who are the drivers of the system,” he added.