The crisis rocking the Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has reached a climax.
The students who have been turned into landlords of the school, their parents who continue to be apprehensive about when their children would graduate, the staff who remain between the devil and the deep blue sea and others who earn their daily living from the institution, are now in a cul-de-sac.
The recent visit of the school’s Students Union officials to the House of Representatives, Federal Ministry of Education and National Universities Commission (NUC), all in Abuja, is a bit late. It is however good that the step was taken.
It is unfortunate that the political leaders who officially own the institution are showing lukewarm attitudes.
Osun has a multi-campus University of Osun State (UNIOSUN) and Oyo under Governor Abiola Ajimobi has just established the Technical University (TechU), Ibadan, that is scheduled to take off on October 5, 2017. It was said that over N4 billion has been expended on the university. However, LAUTECH has been an orphan for six years now.
When the clamour for the sole ownership by Oyo State was on, other geopolitical zones saw (and still see) it as an Ogbomoso cross which Ogbomoso alone must carry. But is that so?
The majority of the high-ranking officials in the school are not of Ogbomoso origin. Also, some people allege that the problem has to do with its name and location. If this is true, how long shall we continue tribal political wars? The ugly past should be cast into the cloak of night, never to be remembered again.
The chancellor of the institution, Senator Bola Tinubu, is a key figure in resolving the logjam. His silence on the matter must be broken to remove all doubts.
Adegbola Ojo
Ogbomoso, Oyo State
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