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Osun State faults Makinde on LAUTECH, insists joint ownership sacrosanct

By Iyabo Lawal
19 September 2019   |   4:10 am
Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State has implored his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, not to incite workers of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso and the people of Oyo state against Osun.

Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola

Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State has implored his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, not to incite workers of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso and the people of Oyo state against Osun.

Oyetola, while reacting to claims by his Oyo State counterpart, Makinde, that Osun State government has defaulted in its obligation to LAUTECH maintained that Osun has been living up to expectation and performing its responsibility as equal partner in the joint ownership.Makinde had accused Osun State government of not paying the salaries of workers of the institution, saying he would not mind if the school is divided to allow each of the owner-states go on its own.

But Oyetola, in his reaction, said in the last 29 years of existence, Osun government has been living up to its expectations and performing its responsibility as equal partner in the LAUTECH ownership.

“Makinde needs to be properly informed that Osun government does not owe LAUTECH workers since it took over the payment in July this year. What is outstanding is the August subvention, which is being arranged alongside other statutory expenses.

“May we remind the governor that in 2017, the Osun government committed a sum of N1, 250, 000, 000, and in 2018 paid N500, 000, 000? Between July 2010 and 2016, Osun paid a total sum of N8, 692, 488, 234.04. Osun has offset LAUTECH workers’ July salary with N300, 000, 000 this year. We challenged Makinde to tell the public what Oyo has contributed to LAUTECH between 2010 and 2019.

“When owner states were asked to pay N500m each for takeoff after the visitation panel, Osun duly paid its own, but we are yet to have evidence of payment by Oyo. Makinde should be worried why LAUTECH has not been self-sufficient in terms of funding and academic advancement since its creation, while Osun State University, which was created a few years ago, is making waves financially and academically.

“It is a known fact that Oyo had always wanted to own LAUTECH alone but it is our common patrimony and nobody can appropriate it through blackmail. The supposed “plan to split’ “signed by former governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Adebayo Alao Akala was a ruse. There is a legal process to be followed if Oyo State is indeed interested in taking over the institution.

“Osun has always been cheated on LAUTECH; only one out of the eight academic faculties is in Osun while Oyo has about twice of the staff strength of the university. Osun single-handedly funded the infrastructural development of Osun campus while 85 per cent of the total institution’s infrastructure is in Oyo, and funding is equally carried out. Despite this, we are fully committed to joint ownership of our joint heritage.

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