The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Those were the humbling words of Martin Luther King. Jr. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology stands at a dangerous precipice. From every angle, we students are now being faced with several critical issues. The most pressing of these matters is the memorandum of the governing council that was leaked on thursday night.
Right now, all signs from the leaked memo which is Still a proposal from the governing council (who are political appointees) to the school management who will then have a meeting with all stakeholders (Student Union which is the Major Stakeholder, Representatives of All Union ( ASUU,NAT,JAC,NASU) on campus, Representatives from the governing council, Representatives from the Alumni Body, Representatives from the Parents before implementing it* point at a significant hike in the tuition fees of the student. This coming after the tuition had already been spiked considerably already. Everyone should bear in mind the already delicate situation the institution is in. A larger percentage of the school's undergraduates witnessed the strike actions the school suffered and the products of those actions.
As of today, the standard of the school is no different than it used to be, there are no significant developments in the institution's infrastructure and yet a large number of students, most especially the 100L students have paid their tuition after the increament for 100lvl students tuition fee from 65,000 to 120,000 for indigenes and 72,000 to 150,000 for non-indigenes.
Considering the leaked memorandum and the fiendish rage it has thus far elicited from students, the most appealing course of most students so far has been to go on a massive protest. And truthfully, the hand of oppression and injustice laid on us by the two wicked Governors (AREGBESOLA oweing 4billion and Ajimobi 2billion) certainly justifies that radical reaction. But in moving forward, it is important to remember the past. To remember the two years We spent at home, the two years we spent in one level. Two years wasted academically with nothing tangible to show for it. If that pointed out one fact, it is the danger of doing the right thing in the wrong way.
There is no doubt that any and all parties directly or indirectly involved in the nefarious plot to hike our tuition must be shown that We will not bow to intimidation, And the office of the president assure you the student union executives will never bow to intimidation nor be bribed to stand down on fighting this cause We must also allow room for any approach to resolving this crisis without escalating it beyond proportion after all we are lucky that we got an expo to what the Governing council are planning ahead of time and a good reason that we prepare and device a means of not allowing anything of such to happen, which all the Students Union Executives Led by Myself is hell bent on. After one 6 month strike, coupled with another 9 month strike and several physical protests to Ibadan, Osogbo and Abuja, it is only reasonable that this time around, We do things differently.
To prove the veracity of the above statement, I want to state categorically that the issue of No Tuition, No Exam that also surfaced afterwards has also added more fuel to the already tensed environment. Even though the management might be right but it is right to let them know that majority of students in Lautech are children of civil servants from *OYO & OSUN STATE, with the two states Governors not paying any dime and our lecturers are also at the receiving end of the no salary payment syndrome.
Majority of the students are in deep financial crises, we struggle to get a square meal, accommodation crises here and there. Every student has a basic right to take his/her exams and we have made the management realize this fact. Come Monday, July 23rd 2018, every student who wishes to will be allowed to sit for his/her examination. The time for reckless radicalism that makes things worse instead of better has come and gone. Now is the time for rational and progressive thinking on a way forward that benefits us the students.
The task ahead is difficult but not insurmountable. We have to Stand and Fight Against the Two State Governors together
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