Tensions escalated at the Iseyin campus of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Oyo State as indigenous community members forcibly expelled staff on Tuesday, amid ongoing controversy over the university’s relocation.
Following Oyo State’s recent announcement of relocating the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources to the Iseyin campus, locals took action against what they perceived as a breach of recruitment protocols.
The crux of their discontent stemmed from the employment of junior staff members, with four individuals reportedly stationed at the Iseyin campus library.
According to a reliable insider, two of the newly recruited staff hailed from Ibadan, while the remaining two were from Oyo.
This disparity fueled resentment among Iseyin natives, who asserted that such appointments contravened the stipulation that Oke-Ogun residents should comprise the majority of junior staff.
In response, aggrieved community members stormed the campus to voice their grievances and issue warnings to the newly hired quartet. Subsequently, the four staff members refrained from reporting to work following the altercation.
Expressing concern over the escalating tension, a lecturer, who opted to remain anonymous, underscored the apprehensive atmosphere prevailing on campus.
The unsettling conditions have raised apprehensions among faculty and staff, prompting a cautious approach amid the ongoing turmoil.
