LAUTECH Students Insist On Permanent Solution To Funding Crisis

Students of  Ladoke Akintola University of Technology have expressed scepticism over the plan by the Alumni Association to raise N1 billion within 90 days to help the school solve the funding challenge that has crippled it.

According to the students, any measure that does not offer a lasting solution to the perennial funding challenge is not acceptable to them.

 The former students had on Monday in Ibadan unveiled the plan at a news conference organised by the alumni of the school under the tag, #Fundlautech team.

But speaking with Report on Tuesday, the students said the effort of the alumni association, though commendable, only offers a temporary solution to the crisis would return as soon as any fund so raised was exhausted.

“Raising funds for LAUTECH may sound good to the society because activities will resume, but this is only a way of putting a temporary smile on our faces,” said Olatunde Bakare, President of the Students’ Union Government.

He said for that reason, the efforts of the alumni association was not acceptable to the students.

Mr. Bakare said the fundraising initiative should have been taken before the crisis that has kept the students out of school since last year.

The Student leader emphasised that the lasting solution acceptable to them remains that the Federal Government adopts LAUTECH, as the main cause of the crisis was because the university has two proprietors.

Mr. Bakare appealed to the Alumni Association to join the efforts of the students in seeking single ownership for the University.

The national president of the LAUTECH Alumni Association, Jide Bewaji, however, explained that the lasting solution to the institution’s crisis was to prevail on the governors of the owner states to start fulfilling their financial obligations.

He said the fundraising initiative of his association was aimed at getting the students back in school as soon as possible. He said other initiatives towards a lasting solution to the crisis were ongoing.

“This is a means to an end, not the end itself. The amount needed is huge, which is about N280 million every month and approximately N6 billion per year,” Mr. Bewaji said.

The students disclosed to Reporters that they were scheduled to meet with the Alumni Association on Wednesday.