LAUTECH and the Constituted Authority

LAUTECH stands today as the crisis-brand for the owner-states; I have interacted with top stakeholders. My take; crude emotive fraternity is at play and not even N5 billion by Oyo and Osun states would help.

I pity Governor Abiola Ajimobi for the opprobrium his anger brought on him, but he has himself to blame. Managing provocation is an art. Nothing disqualifies a choleric fellow from being in public office.

Aides are supposedly hired to cover the principal’s deficiencies. But since the twin evil of cronyism and hero-worship, has supplanted that noble idea, our Excellencies should continue to suffer needless meltdowns. In Nigeria today, an average public officer huffs like the wisest. As an aide, you call attention to his limitations at the risk of your job. With everybody scrambling for the little around, it is not difficult to see while survival protectionism prevails. Even those with adjunct relationship with their Excellencies, tell them “all is well” always. Can you blame them when government is the largest industry in town and businesses hardly survive without its handouts? This malady nearly choked me recently when I mildly disagreed with an ‘Excellency’ in the presence of his hangers-on, top aides inclusive. The stares I received burrowed deep into my pity for what governance has become. Immediately His Excellency wasn’t within earshot, the same people, in my presence, descended on him. Excellencies; take heed.

For Ajimobi, the greatest danger to a man is lying to himself. His performance record in office appears settled in honour but with the footloose syndrome constantly affecting his public speaking, is it not time to seek help, considering that the entire citizenry, not school children or deluded undergraduates alone, has been practically rewired by outright leadership paralysis, to develop adversarial disposition? The people subconsciously irritate and provoke. It will take the correct reading of this interaction perspective, for leaders to relate with the right mindset.

As the APC candidate, I met with Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode one evening. While seated, he popped in for certificating photo-session with some corporatis (my coinage). He later explained that the guys and babes in contoured-fitted suits took him through a three-month crash course in public-speaking. That was how to be ready.

Going by the available facts, Ajimobi should ordinarily be the hero of LAUTECH princes and commoners; the villainous fellow is elsewhere. How can, or why should the person meeting his obligation become the target of anger while the debtor fellow snores away in comfort? I hope there isn’t something spiritual about Ajimobi and the education sector. I wish the governor won’t just smirk this away.

In LAUTECH’s case, Oyo State has been above board while Osun hasn’t, though it isn’t because the latter is irresponsible. Osun is in this mess simply because of “acquisitive compulsion.” In plainer delivery, it is called “greed.” What does a state with an under-funded university still want, hanging on to a joint inheritance already sorted by the Supreme Court? Former Governor Alao-Akala laid all the apex court issues bare in a dispassionate manner. What emotive considerations would make Osun keep itself in troubled water even after the apex court pronouncement provided a life-jacket? Snippets from the top provided a likely insight into Osun’s bus conductor style of hanging on the precipice concerning LAUTECH. There are fears of job loss for Osun indigenes and an end to student quota advantage, if Oyo took absolute charge.

Proudly, I admit education is a thriving industry in Osun and a huge number of applicants is recorded yearly. But it was so before the coming of UNIOSUN. So, if even Oyo won’t be magnanimous after the separation, UNIOSUN can be expanded with the token being spared for LAUTECH, to accommodate more indigenes. In fairness to Oyo since the days of Alao-Akala, the tendency to be fairly accommodating of Osun as a sister-state over LAUTECH, has been overt. When the sole take-over happens, Osun should not be over-demanding as it was recently. I won’t say more.

With LAUTECH host community becoming increasingly hostile, plus the town’s emblem of authority being as truculent as witnessed not quite long, what realistic future does Osun have in LAUTECH? When the Ekeji Orisa says “no way”, no reasonable Oyo government, would say otherwise.

Students’ unions are now led mainly by universities’ dregs. Their relevance is enhanced by guns and fund provided by the political class. Not even their brains would stop them from being unruly. The gutted students need them for “effective” engagements with the leaders. If they had gone to Ajimobi, pleading and crying like “butties,” chances are, the half a billion rescue fund would have been channeled elsewhere. There is also a brighter side to the constituted wahala between Ajimobi and the protesting students. They possibly came to him because he was seen as a more responsible of the two owners, judging by reports of financial commitment available to them. Only that the father/children parley just went awry.

In place of social media management the governor’s team tried doing after the fiasco, His Excellency should just be taken through the aluta communication and his next visit to the school as the Visitor could begin his deification by the students who simply want to “finish and go.” I am deliberately silent over the lecturers and their “earned allowance” story. Together, we would have an outing soon.

Oyo should commence the process of forcing Osun off if the latter won’t let go, by activating the Supreme Court judgement. By the way, what exactly is wrong with Ajimobi reminding the students that it was only the concept of constituted authority that would make a man speak like a god?