TRUE, LAUTECH Has Told Students To Resume, But Lecturers Might Not

Claim

ROUNDCHECK saw a claim on social media directing students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) to resume as academic activities for the first semester of the 2021/2022 academic session will commence on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

ROUNDCHECK findings

ROUNDCHECK findings revealed that On Thursday, May 19th, management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), instructed students and staff of the institution to resume through a memo sent to students via mail.

The memo titled: CONTINUATION OF THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THE 2021/2022 ACADEMIC SESSION, and signed by the institution’s Registrar, Kayode Ogunleye, revealed that academic activities for the first semester of the 2021/2022 academic session will commence on Thursday, May 26, 2022. 

Students who spoke to ROUNDCHECK said they received the Memo on Thursday afternoon.

Read the content of the memo below

CONTINUATION OF THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THE 2021/2022 ACADEMIC SESSION

Upon the directive of the Visitor to the University, the Management hereby informs all staff and students that the university will continue its academic activities for the first semester of the 2021/2022 Academic session on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

The amended academic calendar for the semester will soon be made available. Staff and students are hereby enjoined to abide with this directive.

On behalf of the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. M.O Liasu, I welcome all students back to campus and wish them a crisis-free semester.

Roundcheck made a call through to the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof Ige Azeez, who confirmed the claim obtained by Roundcheck. He said ” The information is from the management, sure”

Will lecturers resume?

ROUNDCHECK sought to know if lecturers agree with the management’s directive on resumption especially as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is yet to call off its strike.

ASUU was formed in 1978, a successor to the Nigerian Association of University Teachers formed in 1965 and covering academic staff in all of the Federal and State Universities in the country. 

ASUU embarked on an Industrial Action on Feb 14, 2022, following the failure of the government to implement various agreements reached with them in 2009.

Their core issues include poor implementation of the re-negotiated 2009 agreement with the union and the government’s insistence on paying the workers through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) instead of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which the union developed and recommended for the purpose.

ROUNDCHECK spoke to the LAUTECH ASUU chairman, Dr. Biodun Olaniran, via a phone call, he insisted that the lecturers are on strike.

In his words: “Please and please, ASUU LAUTECH is on strike, thank you”, he hung up afterward.

Also the ASUU Ibadan zone coordinator, Prof. Oyebamiji Oyegoke, while addressing journalists in Ogbomoso on Wednesday, said “LAUTECH branch of ASUU is actively involved in the current 12 weeks roll-over strike alongside our national body is to draw the attention of Federal Government of Nigeria on the need to implement the Renegotiated Agreement which FGN signed with ASUU in 2009.”

Conclusion

The management of LAUTECH has indeed directed students to resume, however, total compliance still looks uncertain as ASUU LAUTECH chairman insisted that the striking lecturers will comply with ASUU’S directives to stay away from the classrooms.