The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Lagos zone, on Friday appealed to the governments of Oyo and Osun states to find a solution to the crisis rocking the jointly-owned Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State.

Addressing journalists at the premises of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Abeokuta, the Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Olusiji Sowande, said it was high time the two Governors fashioned out ways to properly fund the University.

He said for proper funding of the University and solution to the lingering crisis, one state should own the citadel of learning.

The zonal coordinator urged the two Governors to take progressive measures as a matter of urgency, to save the institution.

Sowande said that bad politics was responsible for the ownership crisis hindering the smooth administration of the university.

The Zonal Coordinator called on prominent and well-meaning indigenes of the two states to prevail on the governments to get beyond the problem.

He faulted the non-release of the report of the Visitation Panel chaired by Chief Wole Olanipekun, (SAN), set up to recommend lasting solutions for resolving the recurrent funding crisis in the university.

According to him, it shows that the state governments are not interested in permanently resolving the crisis.

He said that the university ought to be the best in the country in view of its co-ownership status, but unfortunately was not.

“The two of them want the university, but don’t want to fund it. Our recommendation is that one state should own it.

“Proper funding, adequate subvention from the government will restore the lost glory of the university.

“LAUTECH was a very progressive University until the funding stopped. The two Governments should do the needful,” he said.

Sowande said during ASUU delegation’s visit to the institution, there was tension in the school, with the students engaging in unspeakable things.

He said that to make the matters worse, the Governing Council of the university recently approved increase in tuition fees (N200,000 minimum and N300,000 maximum).

Sowande recalled that the LAUTECH branch of ASUU conditionally suspended its eight months old strike in February after a Memorandum of Action (MoA) was signed with the institution’s Governing Council.

“One will expect that the funding of this University will improve to forestall the recurrence of such avoidable long strike action,” he said.

(NAN)