"LAUTECH Students Call Out Management for Playing Politics with Their Future"

Table of Contents

1. Students' Appeal to the Governor and Vice Chancellor
2. About LAUTECH
3. Challenges Faced by Students
4. Official Statement from Concerned Students
5. Call to Action

Students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Iseyin campus, have urged Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Razaq Rom Kalilu, to cease playing politics with their future.

The students made this appeal in a "save our soul" message provided to DAILY POST on Thursday.

According to DAILY POST, LAUTECH is one of the higher education institutions owned by the Oyo State government.

A few years ago, the state government established the LAUTECH Iseyin campus; however, recently, students from the Faculty of Agriculture at the main campus in Ogbomoso were transferred to the Iseyin campus.

Now, the students claim they have been encountering significant challenges since their relocation to the Iseyin campus.

A statement signed by students under the banner of Concerned Students of LAUTECH, Iseyin Campus, indicated that they have sent letters to the management and held peaceful protests to draw the attention of the school authorities, but no improvements have been made.

They called on the state government and the institution's management to stop politicizing their education and future.

The statement reads, “Save our soul: The academic crisis at LAUTECH Iseyin campus. We, the Concerned Students of the Faculty of Agriculture at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Iseyin Campus, write to highlight the severe administrative negligence jeopardizing our future.

Since the establishment of the Iseyin Campus, we have been subjected to a system that prioritizes politics over educational quality.

“It is both ironic and disheartening that a Faculty of Agriculture exists without a single livestock or poultry unit. Since our transition to this campus in our second year, we have not conducted any practical sessions. We paid fees for a “Farm Practice Year,” yet we have not engaged in any meaningful activities. We are being trained as agriculturists in theory alone, lacking the practical experience essential for our field.

“The campus currently operates with just two lecture rooms and one administrative building. There are no offices for lecturers, forcing them to travel from Ogbomosho to Iseyin for classes. Due to the absence of office space and laboratories, many refuse to come, leaving students without lectures for weeks.

“The lack of an administrative structure on our campus means examination scripts are frequently transported back and forth to Ogbomosho, often resulting in lost scripts. Students face “Awaiting Results” (AR) status, which often turns into an ‘F’ (Failure) through no fault of their own. We lack a local mechanism for addressing complaints; issues cannot be raised in Iseyin without traveling to Ogbomosho.

“The pioneer set is now in their final year. Instead of concentrating on graduation, they find themselves in a logistical nightmare. Some departments have instructed final year students to move to the Ogbomosho campus for projects, only to require them to return to Iseyin for lectures, which rarely take place due to the lack of lecturer offices.

“We have sent letters and conducted peaceful protests, but there has been no change. We urge the Oyo State Government and the University Management to stop politicizing our education. Education is our right, not a privilege.”

Eze Chidiebere Paul

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