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The National
Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), on Wednesday, solicited the
intervention of some Yoruba leaders on the crisis of ego plaguing the
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho.

The students’ body,
in a statement made available to journalists, specifically called on
former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, the governors’ forum, and Afe
Babalola to wade into the crisis and call the duo of Governors
Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Adebayo Alao-Akala of Osun and Oyo States to
order.

The call is coming
about 24 hours after the southwest branch of Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN) warned on the implication of the crisis on the future of
education of the owner states, the institution itself, its students,
and members of staff.

NANS said it
condemned the ‘needless’ struggle over the control of the management of
the institution, positing “the lingering crisis has seriously affected
the reputation of the institution regarded as the ‘Best State
University in the country and the 76th Best University in African
continent.’

“The latest
issuance of two weeks ultimatum by the National Universities Commission
(NUC), for the two states to resolve the crisis, has evidently showed
some publicity.

“We, therefore,
sincerely appeal to the senses of reasoning and patriotism of
Governors’ Forum, the monarchs in the south-west region, Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo, Aare Afe Babalola, and other eminent Nigerians to
collectively wade into the crisis and find the lasting solution to the
disengagement war.

“Students and
members of staff are grievously suffering from the agony of the series
of actions embarked upon by the Governors Adebayo Akala and Olagunsoye
Oyinlola,” the students said.

Dashed hopes

NANS stated that
the crisis has dashed the hopes of students who had hoped to become
graduates in the next few weeks, urging the governors of the
owner-states to quickly agree on the position of the vice chancellor
and the Governing Council before the deadline issued by the National
University Commission (NUC) to avoid its hammer of licence revocation
on the institution.

“It is our
conviction that in the general interests of the masses of both states,
the two proprietors should amicably resolve, harmonise, and make public
pronouncement that there exist now, a proper governance structure in
the institution,” NANS said.

“To emphasise their harmonisation, they should accede to the
yearnings of the striking unions on the campus as a matter of urgency,
so that the institution will resume normal academic activities. This is
in the interest of the students and the good reputation of the
varsity,” the union said.