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Tag: Biodun Olaniran

  • LAUTECH ASUU kicks against fee hike

    The Branch Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso,  Dr Biodun Olaniran has said the union is against commercialization and Privatization of Education in Nigeria.

    Dr Olaniran said the union as is against  the fee increment policy in the university.

    “We are against the fee increment in the varsity and as a body we would do everything to ensure we kick against it as the government has no plans for education.

    Read Also: ‘Let Oyo take over LAUTECH’

    “There should be proper funding of education which will be accessed by the poor. Education should be for all not for the rich alone.  Students should not be extorted because of education.

    “We are working towards the crisis and very soon everything will be solved because we would be meeting with the  school to lay the demands of the body as the national body itself are aware of the development and we urge students to be calm as everything is under control.”  he assured.

    The management  LAUTECH recently  increased the tuition  fee of the varsity which led to a protest by the students who kicked against the hike.

  • ‘Non payment of salaries will deepen corruption’

    The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that non-payment of salaries to workers and university lecturers will deepen corruption and heighten security tensions in the country when students are sent home owing to strikes.

    The Zone lashed out at the failure of the Oyo and Osun States’ government over their failure to pay 10months salary arrears and their defaulting over statutory function to Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso.

    ASUU said that strike currently on in the LAUTECH branch may become full blown if the governments fail to address their demands within the duration of the warning strike.

    The bone of contention is that the owner states refused to fund the University and this has led to 10months unpaid salaries, non-payment of earned academic allowances, pension and gratuity and National Health Insurance Schemes.

    The Ladoke Akintola University had on Thursday proceeded on two weeks warning strike over non-payment of 10months salary arrears by the two owner states and the refusal to fund the university.

    Read Also: ‘Lagos not paying religious scholars salaries’

    A release signed by the Ibadan Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Dr Ade Adejumo said allowing the university workers to proceed on another round of strikes would put the progress of the institution on hold and expose the students to crime and criminality.

    Adejumo who maintained that it was the height of irresponsibility and insensitivity on the part of the governors of Osun and Oyo to attend to the financial needs of the institution.”

    The lecturers had to put on hold the first semester examination of the 2017/2018 session put the academic session a shaky and uncertain future.

    The chairman of ASUU LAUTECH Dr. Biodun Olaniran had maintained that while the lecturers had the interest of the students at heart, it is becoming practically impossible to be responsible parents to their families while their children needs are largely unmet.

    ASUU said the union had communicated the governments on the Memorandum of Action before suspending the 10 months strike last year on the need not to renege on the agreement while government continues to beg the question.

    “It is total corruption to deliberately create conditions that will make people vulnerable to crime and criminality. Why will government not pay people and be expecting them to work. Which of the governors is not getting paid and receiving security votes? If workers are coming to work for ten months without pay, a reasonable government should be worried about how the people are coping and surviving rather than think everything is normal. This warning strike is to alert the public of an impending full blown total strike if the government refuses to accede to the request of the ASUU members,” he stated.

  • LAUTECH begins two-week warning strike

    …demands social right for students

     

    Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology on Wednesday commenced a fresh two-weeks warning strike due to poor funding of the University by the owner states government.

    LAUTECH is jointly owned by the Osun and Oyo states government.

    The Union in a statement issued after its congress and jointly signed by its chairman, Biodun Olaniran and the secretary, Toyin Abegunrin said LAUTECH chapter of the union has gotten approval to embark on the said warning strike from the national body of the union.

    It said despite the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed with the union and the Governing Council (GC) of the University after its eight months old strike last year, government of the two states reneged on fulfilling their own part of the deal.

    According to the statement, the two states only paid one out of the eleven months salary arrears owed the workers.

    The statement reads: “On 13th February, 2018, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) LAUTECH Branch Ogbomoso signed a Memorandum of Action (MoA) with the Governing Council (GC) of the University.

    “The signing of MoA led to the suspension of the 8 months old strike on the 17th February 2018. One of the fundamental clauses of the agreement is the promise of the GC that “it will ensure that the governments (of Oyo and Osun states) will be made to be responsive to their legitimate responsibilities (funding inclusive) to the University.”

    “The GC also promised to work out the modality of paying salary arrears, promotion arrears, earned academic allowances (EAA) as well as paying monthly salaries as and when due. Out of eleven months salary arrears owed, only one month had been paid.

    “The payment of monthly salary had become dwindling since May and nothing had been paid on promotion arrears and EAA. The Union observed these reneges of the MoA on the part of the GC and the University administration and several correspondences were made to the duo of the University administration and GC to call their attention to the implications of reneging on the MoA.

    Read Also: LAUTECH heading towards collapse, says ASUU

    “It is worthy of note that most of the time, the GC do not reply our correspondence to it and whenever it does, the message has been “bear with us until the University finance improves.” The latest of such correspondent to the GC was on the 5th July, 2018. No reply was made on this correspondence.

    “Reviewing the MoA, the union observed that the situation in LAUTECH is not improving because the Visitors to the University are not responsive to their financial responsibilities to the University. The situation becomes unbearable to members of ASUU in LAUTECH, who are being owed 10 months salaries among others.

    “The Branch sought and obtained permission to embark on two weeks warning strike from National Executive Council of ASUU.

    “The ASUU  LAUTECH Branch  is on two weeks warning strike due to poor funding of the University by the owner states government. Let the owner states government remember the masses and give them their social rights”.

  • LAUTECH: ASUU urge the two owner-state to fulfill their pledge

    LAUTECH: ASUU urge the two owner-state to fulfill their pledge

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU ) LAUTECH Chapter has called on the two owner-states of the institution to redeem their pledge which made the Union to suspend its strike last month.

    The statement was made by the union Chairman, LAUTECH chapter, Dr. Biodun Olaniran while explaining the present situation of the union in the institution.

    Read: APC hails Ajimobi, Aregbesola for reopening LAUTECH

    He said, “lecturers are ready to work towards success of the on-going academic year of the institution, but it is very necessary for the owner-states to fulfill their promise, saying they are concerned with the future of the students of the institution”.

    Speaking on the report of nationwide strike likely to be embarked upon by the ASUU, Dr. Olaniran stated that National Executive Council of ASUU is in the best position to comment on the proposed development.

    Read Also: Varsities unions brace for battle

  • LAUTECH: ASUU vows not to resume work

    LAUTECH: ASUU vows not to resume work

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU ), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology ( LAUTECH ), Ogbomoso Chapter has vowed not to resume work in the midst of the varsity reopening.

    This was made known in a press release obtained by The Nation, which was signed by the Secretary Dr Toyin Abegunrin which reads “Comrades, we believe that our members are fully informed and clear about the issues that led us into the crisis. None of the issues has been addressed and the Governing Council that promised to get back to us after their meeting with the Union but up till now we haven’t gotten any response from them.

    In the light of the above, our strike is still in full force. The national body of our Union is fully briefed on the state of Things in LAUTECH and is on the same page with us. Let us remain resolute, we shall overcome.
    Dare to struggle, dare to win.

    Speaking with the ASUU chairman Lautech Chapter, Dr Biodun Olaniran, he said “We are not concerned with the reopening of the varsity but as a union we are still on strike. In the Congress we had yesterday we all came to a conclusion that we would not resume any work because our needs are not addressed”.

    “Our demands are; Earned academic allowances,  Pension and gratuity, national health insurance, conditions of service, promotion arrears, budget monitoring committee, payment of salaries and arrears”, he said

    It should be recalled that the institution has been reopened after so many month due to lack of poor funding of the lecturers since December 2013.