LAUTECH: THE WAY FORWARD
For about four weeks now, the leadership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso has been enmeshed in the ownership disputes and other crises affecting the 20-year old institution.
Two major problems are on ground. One is the battle between owner states Osun and Oyo for control over the university. The other one is the non-implementation of the new salary scale by the governments of the aforementioned states which has caused the local ASUU to embark on an indefinite strike till the issue is resolved.
To the casual observer, the matter on ground seems to have died down, but anyone well acquainted with the university system in this country know that it is not yet uhuru: the rumblings have only become low, they have not died yet.
We will surely remember the National ASUU/SSANU strike of 2009 that lasted three months before students were called back to their respective campuses. That strike action did not fulfill its objectives before it was called off. There were many areas of our national university system that were left untouched when the striking parties decided to lay down their arms in exchange for the FG signing a mere, semi-empty document. If the aim of the strike was to put a lasting strategy and provide solutions to our ailing system, then the strike was an aborted pregnancy or else, the students of LAUTECH would have been preparing for second semester examinations and not sitting back at home with half of their semester’s coursework undone!
There are some things that need to be put in place before an institution can be called a modern day university. These are:
- Good electricity supply. (now PHCN is on strike too)
- Good telecommunications system and fast, reliable access to the internet for all members of the university community.
- Good roads network in the university.
- Well equipped and updated Library with e-solutions and covering a vast range of subjects, broader than the courses (or degrees) offered at the institution.
- Well equipped and spacious laboratories, classrooms and Lecture Theatres with all the needed resources. (included human)
- Continuous, meaningful and adequately funded research work must be going on all the time. It must be encouraged always and I mean 21st Century Research, not the “scavenging researches” we have in our campuses.
To be continued.
8/26/2010 2:49 PM
