Proudly Ladokite

Guardian: Return to classes, Oyo appeals to LAUTECH lecturers Guardian:  LAUTECH ASUU vows to continue strike until states pay N7.6b subvention

Preparing for your exams in less than three weeks is no easy task, especially when you’ve been out of school for over seven months. We can totally relate if you feel like your brain is completely empty right now, and you’re panicking over how you’ll cover your syllabus in less than three weeks. No need to catch an exam fever. We took our time to find out how you can make the most out of the revision period to prepare for the exams. After a little research to find out how one can best maximize this short revision period, the most effective technique we could find is to create an effective study timetable .

An internal memo directed to members of ASUU LAUTECH has been leaked, confirming our report this morning that the lecturers have vowed to continue their strike regardless of the memo sent by the school management that the university will reopen on Friday 27. The document which carried the signature  the union chairman, Biodun Olaniran, urged the members to "remain focused and resolute" on their industrial action, stating that "going back to resume under the present circumstances is akin to taking a blind plunge into a thick forest of uncertainties with is fraught with all kinds of imaginable dangers." The union accused the school management of 'resorting to arm-twisting tactics,' adding that their action will only aggravate the situation.

LAUTECH lecturers, under the umbrella of ASUU have vowed to continue with their strike until their demands are met, defying the announcement by the school management that the university will resume on Friday. This shocking news was revealed by the ASUU chairman, Biodun Olaniran, when contacted by  Premium Times , shortly after the release of an internal memorandum by the school management announcing the resumption date. He said ASUU was not consulted before the resumption date was announced and that the Congress of ASUU remained on its earlier stance. Quoting Premium Times report, "When asked what would be the fate of the students, the ASUU Chairman who had earlier hoped that the payment of N500 million would lead to reopening of the varsity said, “They(Students )should impress it on the government to do the needful by showing commitment to the funding of the University.”

Resumption!! We brought you and exclusive analysis yesterday predicting that LAUTECH will resume next week. Some of you believed it, others remained in doubt. However, all that is now a thing of the past as LAUTECH management decided to surprise us with the best news of the year by announcing that the university would, after seven months, resume this Friday.

Reopen LAUTECH Get ready Ladokites, from all indications, LAUTECH will most likely resume next week. The Oyo state government and ASUU chairman have hinted this. Before you crucify me, here are the facts: As you must have seen in the news, Oyo and Osun state governments have both payed N500m (N250m each) into the coffers of the university. Yes, this is true, we spoke to Ajimobi’s head of digital communications, Babjide Fadoju, on Saturday, and confirmed he confirmed it. Ajimobi’s Senior Assistant on Students and Youth, Bolaji Afeez, also confirmed this fact, adding that government is “hopeful of a next week resumption.”

Is Ajimobi really planning to shut down LAUTECH Faculty of Management Sciences? After a rumor claiming that Oyo state Governor, Ajimobi, plans to close down the entire Faculty of Management Sciences, and sack the lecturers therein circulated on social media yesterday, he has confirmed that the rumor is not true. Proudly Ladokite spoke to Ajimobi's head of Digital Communications, Babajide Fadoju, who confirmed that this rumor was not true, saying it is "not possible."

In Response to a statement by members of SERAL-C dissociating themselves from the congress scheduled for tomorrow , congress organizer, Lautech mouthpiece, has said that the meeting is for the common interest of all student, and not for political reasons. In his statement, he wrote, "It is sardonic and abysmal that some set of students under the auspices of SERAL-C is dissociating itself from an open congress slated for tomorrow.  One may begin to wonder what informed such an infamy."

Update: Congress organizer, Oyedeji Ahmed, has replied SERAL-C, saying the congress is 'not for politicians' or political agenda. Read full reply  The organizers of the ReopenLautech campaign has asked students to disregard any invitation to a congress tomorrow adding that they dissociate themselves from the meeting. This came in shortly after Oyedeji Ahmed, popularly known as Lautech mouthpiece, published an invitation calling all students are to a congress at 250 Lecture theatre, Wednesday. In a statement signed by the Secretary and P.R.O., of SERAL-C, they wrote, "This is to inform Ladokites that SERAL-C ( Safe Education and ReOpen Lautech Students Coalition) which is the umbrella body leading and advocating for the ReOpenLautech struggle dissociate self from any Congress that is said to be fixed for tomorrow."

This is to inform all concerned students that there will be a congress tomorrow, January 18, 2016. Pls come one, come all ! Note, this is not a personal opinion, but a collective one. MEETING FOCUS: RESUMPTION DATE UNITY AMONGST STUDENTS AND FURTHER PLAN INCASE OF INCASITY  Venue : 250 LT Time : 10 AM Message by: Lautech mouthpiece ( LMP ) --- Disclaimer: This announcement is coming from Oyedeji Ahmed a.k.a LAUTECH Mouthpiece, and does not in any way represent the opinion of Proudly Ladokite.

The Oyo State Government on Monday said it was not interested in reprimanding protesting students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, who were seen in a video talking to Governor Abiola Ajimobi in a rude manner. It said that its immediate concern was to ensure that the school reopens this month.

One week after Ladokites took to the streets of Ibadan to protest the closure of LAUTECH for the past seven months, the effects continue pouring in. The effect, this time, is not the handwork of Ladokites but Ajimobi himself. After a video of him making such derogatory comments that undermine the value of education went viral, major backlash has started pouring in, condemning his act and asking for an apology. Here are a few: Bella Naija :  Must Watch! Gov. Ajimobi of Oyo tells LAUTECH Protesting Students, “Go and do your worst!” Premium Times :  VIDEO: Gov. Ajimobi taunts protesting LAUTECH students, says ‘Do your worst’ Pulse :  Oyo Governor is a disgrace YNaija :  YNaija Says: Shame On You, Governor Ajimobi. Shame On You

This video is snippet of Oyo state Governor, Ajimobi, scolding LAUTECH students during the protest, Monday. Does Ajimobi have a point?

Now the meeting is over; what next? The all-so-important meeting between the owner-state government, LAUTECH managements and staff unions, was held yesterday at Agodi Secretariat in Ibadan. The meeting which was originally announced by the Oyo state governor, Ajimobi, in a press release last week -- and also during the protest -- was meant to serve as a platform for him to dialogue with the staff unions to accept the N500 million he and his counterpart, Aregbesola, agreed to offer. However, a day prior to the meeting, things took a rather unlikely turn when the leaders of the staff union stated in an interview that 'they will not resume if their demands are not met,' -- and their demands are way beyond N500 million as one of the staff leaders stated that N500 million cannot barely two months salaries out of the seven months they are being owed.

Here are the top mentions of LAUTECH in the news today: Premium Times :  LAUTECH student leaders in free-for-all over governor’s ‘N500,000 largesse’ Naij.com :  LAUTECH students fight over N500,000 gift from governor Pulse.ng : LAUTECH Students have rejected a school fees hike proposed by the authorities YNaija :  Will LAUTECH be reopened soon? Pulse.ng :  Protesting students ditch solidarity over cash gift

Chairman of ASUU LAUTECH, Dr. Biodun Olaniran and Chairman, ASUU Ibadan, Dr. Ade Adejumo  announced in an interview on Galaxy TV today that the lecturers will not resume -- not even on February 1st -- if their demands are not met by the owner-states, Oyo and Osun, government. This is coming as a rather unexpected blow to the students whose hopes had already been raised by Ajimobi’s promise during the protest Monday that LAUTECH will resume on or before February 1st. Dr. Biodun Olaniran buttressed on the demands of ASUU. “The demands,” he said, “are very clear, and if there is any will on the part of the government, they are not difficult to meet.” While explaining that the union had both long and short term demands from the government, he went further to state the short term demands which must be met before the agree to resume. The short term demands, are as follows:

Channels TV: LAUTECH Reopens January Ending, Ajimobi Tells Protesting Students Vanguard: LAUTECH Strike: Police warn as students paralyse activities in Ibadan The Nation: LAUTECH to get N500m lifeline  Guardian: Aggrieved varsity students spurn Ajimobi, protest in Ibadan   Daily Post: We want LAUTECH reopened now – students tell Ajimobi, Aregbesola   Pulse: Students demand re-opening of varsity in mass protest  

After weeks of excessive publicity, the much anticipated January 9th mass action finally took place today. Surprisingly, despite the enthusiasm shown by Ladokites on social media, a population of barely 300 students turned up for the protest. Nontheless, the protest held as planned -- and attracted major mainstream media attention, with the likes of Channels TV and Sahara Reporters covering the protest. The real question, however, is whether the protest achieved the aim for which it was organized? So, without further ado, here’s a breakdown of what transpired during the protest today. Hightlights from today’s protest at Government Secretariat, Ibadan 

After several hours of waiting outside the Oyo state secretariat, Oyo state governor, finally came out at about 2:30 PM to address the protesting Ladokites. According to some attendees, the protest was successful, as Ajimobi once again reassured Ladokites that the school will resume on or before February 1st.

LAUTECH students have taken to the streets of Ibadan today to protest the closure of the institution for the past 7 months. News reaching us now is that there over 300 students currently at the Government secretariat waiting for the audience of the Governor. The students have been there since 10 AM and have not been allowed entrance. So far, only the SA to the Governor on Youth and Sports, Afeez Repete, has come out to address the students. Here are some photos from the scene of the protest:

Proudly Ladokite team talked to the some students leaders ahead of the protest tomorrow and here are the key things they want you to know before you come out to protest. All students are to come out with their I.D cards. You can also wear any school merchandise for identification purposes. Non-Ladokites joining from other institutions should also come with their I.D cards for security reasons. No harmful objects will be allowed. The mass action will begin by 8:30 AM with a press interview. Freedom walk begins after the press interview. Those in Ogbomoso will converge at Alumni Park by 6:00AM Those coming from Lagos will converge at MRS Service Station at Berger by 7:00AM. Those in Osogbo will meet at former Fakunle Comprehensive Highschool gate by 6:30AM Here are phone numbers you can call for more information: 08062572247, 08085364452, 08132845554.

It's now official. LAUTECH will most definitely resume before the end of January. The management of LAUTECH has confirmed that the university will resume before the end of January, 2017.  However, no specific date has been announced. This was made known today in a statement issued on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor by the school's Registrar, J.A Agboola.

Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has officially announced that LAUTECH will resume activities on or before February 1. He made this known in a statement issued by his Special Adviser Communication and Strategy, Mr. Yomi Layinka, after a meeting with the national, Zonal and State Leadership of the students’ unions in his office, on Friday evening. This is coming as a confirmation to our earlier report where we exclusively confirmed this from the NANS Oyo Chairman, Toheeb Niniola. Ajimobi also confirmed that LAUTECH Vice-chancellor, Prof.  Adeniyi Gbadegesin, was involved in the conversation during the meeting on Friday. According to the statement, representatives of the Oyo and Osun states had met last Tuesday in Osogbo to agree on the way out of the crisis prior to Friday’s round of talks which led to the agreement to reopen the school.

This rumor is not entirely true. Read the analysis below. A report surfaced on WhatsApp Friday evening claiming that Oyo state Governor, Ajimobi, declared that LAUTECH will resume on the 15th of January after a meeting with some ‘LAUTECH representatives’ in Ibadan. The report which was supposedly written by the senior assistant to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on youth and student affairs, Afeez Bolaji Repete, went further to claim that Governor Ajimobi called Osun state governor, Aregbesola, on the phone, and they agreed to pay N200 million each into LAUTECH account for outstanding allowances and salaries. One reason why this is statement seemed unrealistic is because on Thursday, prior to the report, both Oyo and Osun state governors made a joint statement  appealing to student of LAUTECH and their parents to bear with them as they were still awaiting the final report and recommendation from the Visiting Panel headed by Chief Wole Olanipeku (SAN) .

The Oyo state government has been reportedly sending out invitations via text message to some LAUTECH students’ leaders, summoning them to a meeting at Ibadan. Although the reason for the meeting is unclear, there have been speculations that the motive is to cajole the students’ leaders who are supposed to lead the mass action on Monday to back down. This invitation is already causing some controversy among the students’ leader as some seemed to be cozying up to the Governor’s call, while others have either rejected his invitation or publicly stated that they were not going to compromise their stand concerning the protest on Monday 9th. The PRO of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) reportedly commented that the meeting was ‘not for a serious talk but for an act of “flexing their jaws”.’ His statement attracted serious backlash, even from former LAUTECH SUG President, Solace Bakare, who referred to him as ‘myopic’ for cozying up to the government.

The atmosphere of the already tired and frustrated Ladoke Akintola University students was filled with controversy yesterday, even as the January 9th Mass Action draws near. The controversy draws it root from the text messages sent to some student leaders asking them to come for a meeting with the Governor in Ibadan today, not for a serious talk but for an act of "flexing their jaws" as the myopic NANS PRO posited. Trying to correct such an element (the PRO) would never yield any result because he feels he knows how to write. In public speaking (he claims to understand so well), you do not use such clause in a tense situation like this. I would not blame him because he is not out in the field to feel what is going on. The Nigeria Student can be likened to a female toddler who has been raped several times, tortured and is left to suffer the psychological trauma for life.

Update: A correction was made to this post. The organizer of the mass action was corrected to 'Save Education and Reopen Lautech Coalition (SERAL-C)' from 'Alliance of Nigerian Students against Neoliberal Attack (ANSA).' ---------------- While Lautech students have been making plans to embark on a mass protest on Monday 9th against the closure of the institution for the past 7 months, Oyo and Osun state government seem to have been making other plans. Yesterday, they presented a jointly signed statement to journalists advising students, parents and guardians to “ resist the temptation to resort to self-help and/or any action that may precipitate disruption of law and order ,” in other words telling them to avoid protests. Although it is unclear if this statement means measures will be taken to counter the protest, many students are hesitant to participate due to fear of a recurrence of what happened during the last protest where Police fired shots and tear