The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) has been given 72 hours to withdraw from the ongoing strike by students.
According to NAN, LAUTECH’s student union issued the ultimatum in a joint statement signed by its president, Anuoluwa Adeboye, and the PRO, Gabriel Michael.
The lecturers’ union urged them to follow in the footsteps of Kwara State University (KWASU) lecturers who opted out.
Due to a protracted disagreement with the government, ASUU’s national body began a one-month strike on February 14 and later extended it by two months after the government failed to meet its demands.
If ASUU does not withdraw from the strike led by its national boy, the LAUTECH students’ body said it will see them as saboteurs and resort to a confrontation.
It said it had reached out to the leadership of ASUU in the institution on March 14, when the initial one-month warning strike ended, to ensure sanity and bridge the communication gap.
The student union claimed that the ASUU branch refused to meet with them and made “flimsy” excuses.
“We are giving ASUU LAUTECH’s leadership 72 hours to borrow a leaf from ASUU KWASU, which wrote a special letter to the National ASUU based on a peculiarity in their institution,” the statement said.
“LAUTECH ASUU should withdraw from the current strike, or else the students’ union will be forced to label ASUU LAUTECH as saboteurs of LAUTECH’s progress.”
“They are acting in their own self-interest, and the total confrontation will begin after the 72-hour deadline.”
“To date, ASUU LAUTECH has refused to grant this reasonable request, citing tensile loads as an excuse for not being able to do so.
“Yet they have time to organize other ASUU Chapters to come to LAUTECH for reasons that only benefit them.”
“Isn’t it now clear that ASUU LAUTECH is only fighting for its own interests at the expense of students?” it wondered.
The organization stated that they are aware of the crippling effects of the ongoing strikes on their institution in the past, as well as the wounds that still exist today.
Regardless of the impasse between the government and ASUU’s national body, the ASUU branch at LAUTECH’s involvement in the ongoing strike is questioned, according to the statement.
“ASUU LAUTECH’s involvement is not only dangerous for students, but also horrifying for the University system,” the student union continued.
“As a student body, we are committed to the improvement of our prestigious institution and a more effective educational system.”
According to the student union, it is “extremely urgent” for ASUU LAUTECH to openly address the students about why they joined the national strike at the expense of the academic calendar’s smooth running.
According to the union, LAUTCEH’s final semester results are currently being withheld, and final-year students have previously been impacted by precarious strikes.
“Their mobilization for the NYSC has also been delayed by the four-week warning strike, which has now been extended by eight weeks,” it said.
“If the prevalent maladies are not immediately addressed, another disaster looms around the corner.”
