Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chapter, on Sunday raised the alarm that Oyo and Osun St, joint owners of the institution, have been playing politics with the future of students and staff of the institution.

The warning was given by the chairman and secretary of the union, Biodun Olaniran and Toyin Abegunrin, in a statement they endorsed and made available to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Sunday.

According to them, the politics being played by the owner states bordered on poor funding of the university, from 2013 till date, adding that LAUTECH has two teaching hospitals with one in Osogbo in Osun State and the second one in Ogbomoso.

ASUU had last week threatened to disrupt academic activities if the government that was scheduled to pay salaries between July and December failed to pay the outstanding August and September salaries.

But Secretary to the Osun State Government, Wole Oyebamiji, in his response, said ASUU was misguided by the accusation against the state, saying that the state had kept faith with payment of salaries of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital workers in Osogbo.

ASUU, however, described the press release by the Osun State Government as outright lie and deceptive assemblage of figures with a propagandist mindset.

“Now to the facts of the matter, Osun State should be ready to explain to the public, if there was an arrangement between the two states (Oyo and Osun) to pay LAUTECH salaries on six monthly basis? How faithfully has Osun been discharging its own share of this responsibility since 2013?

“Osun state should also toe the path of honour by telling the public, how many teaching hospitals services at LAUTECH? If Osun State has been funding the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in Osogbo, Osun State, who has been funding the LAUTECH Teaching hospital in Ogbomoso, Oyo State?

“If Oyo State has not neglected the release of salary subvention to LAUTECH workers, just because the state funds the teaching hospital in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, why is Osun State hiding under the excuse that it has been paying salaries in the teaching hospital in Osogbo alone?

“The two teaching hospitals have their separate governing boards, their memberships are separately drawn from individuals within their states, and the financial obligations are borne separately by individual states. For Osun to insinuate that Oyo has been cheating it because of this arrangement is factually incorrect and realistically deceptive.

“To this, we ask Osun to stop hiding behind one finger. May we also ask why is it that it is only when it comes to Osun’s turn to pay salaries in LAUTECH that they start looking for issues to complain about?” (Sunday Sun)

Update news