LAUTECH: A Win-Win Memorandum of Understanding
By Kayode Awojobi
Just like the popular saying goes, there is a time for everything under heaven. This is the current reality in the history of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).
The history of the ownership of the institution is taking a new and radical turn. The ‘parents’ of the university, Oyo and Osun States, have decided to ‘divorce’ one another.
As we all know, the dual ownership of the university by the two states can be said to have caused more harm than good for the students. The brouhaha in the management of the institution has made the students of the university to waste unnecessary years while trying to pursue an undergraduate programme in the school.
The desire for academic excellence has been truncated by both the national unions and the local unions within the institution all pointing to the imbalance in the vested interest within the institution.
Recently, the Governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde, paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola. He stated that the division from the joint ownership of LAUTECH will meaningful progress to the school.
According to him, “the agreement reached by the two states is a win-win situation for the two states as there was no winner, neither was there vanquish. The agreement reached is mainly for the betterment of the institution and that of the students at large.
“The eventual ceding of the institution to Oyo State will not bring about the division of both states as predicted by some people; rather, it would unite the two states much more.
“As sister states, we have been together for a very long time and the issue of separation of ownership of LAUTECH will not bring division.”
On the part of Governor Oyetola, he commended the committee set up by the two states for a job well done and for coming at a resolution which will benefit the institution and the students at large.
In his words, “I believed that Oyo State will take the university to higher ground without any bias in performing her responsibilities to both students of the university and the entire staff from either of the States.”
He added that the agreement reached by both states was in the interest of all the stakeholders that have to do with LAUTECH in order to avoid the incessant crisis that become a recurring decimal in the history of the institution.
The two Governors equally commended the role of the National Universities Commission (NUC) for its support and cooperation towards finding a lasting solution to the issue of LAUTECH.
The committees from the two states were equally commended for a good job well done, working assiduously within a year putting the interest of the students and the workforce of LAUTECH at heart.
However, the institution should be very profitable considering the subvention from the states ab initio. Also, the school has a sizeable population of students much more than any thriving private university in Nigeria. The institution has been run by various administrators that have worked independently of the master plan of the institution.
It is believed that with the final takeover of Oyo State, the government will pay lots of attention to ensure that the university becomes a thing of pride to the state.
The ball is largely in the court of Oyo State, would LAUTECH return to her heydays when it brought great academic medals to the state? Time will tell.
