Nigerian students give striking lecturers 72 hours

The Students Union body of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, has given the LAUTECH chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) 72 hours to withdraw from the ongoing strike.

This is contained in a statement jointly signed by its President, Anuoluwa Adeboye, and Public Relations Officer, Gabriel Michael.

The union, in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Ibadan, urged the lecturers to toe the path of lecturers at the Kwara State University (KWASU) who opted out of the strike.

ASUU had commenced a nationwide strike due to disagreements between it and the Federal Government.

The LAUTECH students’ body said that it would see ASUU in the institution as saboteurs and resort to confrontation, if it fails to withdraw from the action.

“We are giving the leadership of ASUU LAUTECH 72 hours to borrow a leaf from ASUU KWASU that wrote a special letter to the National ASUU based on peculiarity in their institution.

“LAUTECH ASUU should opt out of this ongoing strike or else the students’ union will be left with no choice than to see ASUU LAUTECH as saboteurs to the progress of LAUTECH.

“They are doing these for their selfish interests and total confrontation will commence after the 72 hours ultimatum,” it said.

It said that they had on Monday, March 14, reached out to the leadership of ASUU in the institution to ensure sanity and bridge the communication gap.

The union said that they refused to grant their request for an open dialogue on flimsy excuses.

“ASUU LAUTECH, up to date has refused to grant this sane request but gave excuses of no convenient time due to tensile loads on them.

“Yet they have the time to mobilise other ASUU Chapters to LAUTECH for reasons which only favours their interest.

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“Is it not now crystal clear that ASUU LAUTECH is only fighting for their sole interest at the expense of students? it asked.

It said that they are aware of the crippling effects of the incessant strike on their prestigious institution in the time past as well as the sores and lesions which still ooze till today.

The union said that regardless of the impasse between the Federal Government and ASUU, the involvement of LAUTECH ASUU in the ongoing strike is questionable.

“The involvement of ASUU LAUTECH is not only dangerous for the students but also horrendous for the University system.

“As a student body, we are poised towards the rectification of our prestigious institution and a better educational system,” it said.

It said that it is extremely exigent for ASUU LAUTECH to openly address the students on why they joined the national strike at the expense of the smooth running of the academic calendar in “the best state University in Nigeria”.

According to the union, the students’ last semester results are currently withheld and the final-year students are delayed by precarious strikes in the past.

“Also delayed is their mobilisation for the NYSC by the four-week warning strike which was extended by eight weeks.

“Another disaster looms around the comer if the prevalent maladies are not immediately curbed,” the union warned.