As the crisis over the joint ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), reared its head again, a group, Ogbomoso Development Frontiers (ODF) Thursday advised the government of Osun state to forget offering ‘frivolous excuses’ and immediately hand over the citadel of learning to Oyo state government.
The group in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan signed by its president, Mr Adebayo Ayandele, berated the Osun state government for failing to be alive to its responsibilities on LAUTECH.
ODF while responding to a statements recently signed by a political appointee in Osun state, Adelani Baderinwa and the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Wole Oyebamiji, suggesting that Governor Makinde was wrongly briefed on LAUTECH, as being not only unfounded but a mere attempt at hiding behind the figures, the group noted that the Osun state government submissions was “misguided, infantile and diversionary.”
Alleging that Osun state government ” is again out to sabotage the smooth running of LAUTECH”, the group stressed that “rather than embark on rigmarole by churning out unfounded, unhelpful and unverifiable claims, the government should have done the needful by paying the salaries it owes.
“The truth of the matter is that the statement credited to Governor Makinde was clear and unambiguous. There was an agreement reached by Oyo and Osun states to the effect that each of the states will shoulder the responsibilities of LAUTECH on a six month basis. Oyo State has played its part by paying from January to June of 2019. It is now the turn of Osun and it has started defaulting.Where is the place of a 29-year-old unverifiable history in this?” it said.
ODF added “it was apt for Governor Makinde, as the host governor, to cry out on the situation, which would have led to another strike action, but for his honest disposition, ODF tasked the Osun State government “to toe the path of honour by coming to a roundtable with Oyo State on how to amicably hands off the joint ownership of the university instead of selling itself out as being hell-bent on sabotaging the smooth running of the institution and the economy of Ogbomoso people.
“The Ogbomoso Development Frontiers, a socio-political group working for the interest and development of Ogbomosoland, calls on the Osun State government to wake up to its responsibilities on LAUTECH or better still, hand off the ownership of the university since it has the Osun State University and has shown that it could not adequately cater to the needs of LAUTECH.
“We note with all sense of modesty that the statement credited to Lani Baderinwa, which he shoddily and mischievously tried to withdraw after he had done the damage, was misguided and needless, while advising the gentleman governor of Osun State, Chief Gboyega Oyetola, to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis affecting LAUTECH with his brother, the Oyo State governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde. We state that we and other well-meaning indigenes of Ogbomoso stand solidly behind Governor Makinde and we are in support of his determination to ensure that LAUTECH becomes truly free of ownership challenges.”
