We’ll Ensure LAUTECH Contributes To Economy Of Oyo State-Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, has said his administration is determined to help the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso take its place among renown citadels of learning in the country contributing to the economy of their catchment areas.

He also said his administration has provided enough funds for the university in the 2021 Appropriation Bill.

Although the governor is yet to present the budget to the House of Assembly, he said the state had prepared enough fund to make the university run smoothly.

Makinde, who said this while speaking on a programne on Fresh FM on Saturday, noted that his administration had been funding the university since he came to power.

He commended Osun State Governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, for agreeing with him on the way forward for the university, adding it was this understanding that made the amicable resolution of the crisis possible.

Makinde said he went to Governor Gboyega Oyetola and discussed with him about the need to finally resolve the lingering crisis and he saw reasons there.

He said, “Now the real work has started we have to ensure it is well funded and it contributes to the economy of Ogbomoso and Oyo State.

“I will go to Ogbomoso to meet with the stakeholders very soon. However, I want to plead with the lecturers that there is no Osun forum, no Oyo forum. All of them are staff of the university irrespective of the states they come from.

“Well the only victor are the students who will now get a university environment that is conducive for learning and research.

“We just want our students to be able to develop and contribute their quotas to the development of the country.

“It is a win-win for students and the lecturers. The major issue has been resolved and they don’t have any reason not to excel.”

“When we came in, we said Oyo State will fund LAUTECH from January to July, and Osun will do that for the other part of the year.

But for some reasons, when we came in we had to intervene and for this year 2020, Oyo State has been funding LAUTECH alone and we have appropriated enough money in the 2021 budget to continue doing this.

“Nothing is going to change. Of course, we have issues with how the university has been running in the past we have to change it but it won’t matter where you come from. There won’t be Osun must go. It is a university. We have what it take to put LAUTECH where it used to be nationally and also put it on African and international ranking.

“Assets and liability are part of the process. The process was transparent. Also the NUC valued the assets and the liability and what belong to A, belongs to A and what belongs to B, belongs to B. It doesn’t matter anymore.”