THE Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercime, Senator Abdulfatain Buhari on Wednesday called the attention of the senate to the need for the intervention of the Federal Government in the crisis rocking Ladoke Akintola University of Technology with the intent to support in funding the institution so as to save the future of the students and the institution.
The Senator, representing Oyo North Senatorial districts made the call in a motion titled, “Urgent move by the Federal Government to intervene in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology imbroglio in order to save the future of the innocent youth,” which was also co sponsored by 43 other senators urge Federal government to find immediate solution to the problems by injecting funds needed for the school to re-open immediately.
He also urged the Federal Government to set up a committee to look into the case in order to provide permanent, and consider taking over the institution.
Though his prayers were not accepted, the Senate charged the governors of the two owner states to find a lasting solution to the problem, especially on the issue of ownership.
Senator Buhari in his paper expressed displeasure that LAUTECH which hitherto had the reputation of being the best state owned university in the country now had nothing to his credit than the reputation of being the most strike ridden university in the university as the university cannot an academic year without going on strike for more than 10 months or more due to persistent nonpayment of salaries of members of staff.
He noted that the current pitiable situation of LAUTECH has pathetically shown that the continuous joint ownership in the management of the affairs of the university by the present state is difficult and it has become necessary for the Federal government to intervene and review this nature of ownership.”
Part of the motion read: “worried by the fact that the university is currently in the middle of a strike which has crippled the activities of the university for more than a year due to the inability of the parent states to provide the sum of N4bn to pay the accumulated salaries and arrears of staff, thereby leaving over 3,000 members of staff of the university wallowing in economic hardship and poverty.
“Saddened that the career of over 34,000 students of the university are currently under jeopardy, turning them into social miscreants and leaving the parents who have labored to give their wards quality education languishing in pains and agony for no fault of theirs.”
Majority of the Senators who contributed to the motion described the situation as sympathetic and called for immediate action on the issue to as to save the future of the younger generations and the ones to come.
Senator Barabbas Gemade from Benue North in his contributions said: “This motion is a very sympathetic one, especially when it affects 34,000 young people who are today in jeopardy of an institution that is not working. We must find a way of dealing with this problem so that the issue at stake will be cleared for the children to enjoy their school lives.
“Many states today are in economic situation that did not give them permission to finance their respective universities properly, however, they need to do what they have to do. Oyo and Osun states have not acted properly as far as this important institution is concerned. When the university was established, it was a single state, and when the state was split into two, each wing went and establish another separate state universities, abandoning the one that had to run. They were not wise in taking the decision.”
He however, suggested that the two states should be compelled to meet up with their responsibilities on the institution and find a lasting to the imbroglio.
The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, however ruled that the two state governors should find a lasting solution to the crisis rocking the institution, especially on the issue of ownership.