Following the protest staged by the students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) at Osogbo over the challenges of funding bedevilling the institution, the Governor of Osun state, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola has now given words about the students’ insinuation alleging him of indifference in the institution jointly owned by Oyo and Osun.
While speaking to journalists during a media night out in the Government House, located at Oke Fia as part of the activities commemorating his 60th birthday, Aregbesola said,
“this is not a matter of not having interest in LAUTECH. With the economic realities on ground, I cannot continue with the pattern of funding the school because we are financially incapacitated”.
“I am incapable. The funds are not just there. Though I still make contributions and my deputy governor is here to testify that I still sign cheques to make payment every month to LAUTECH. It is small. It is not a matter of interest, but incapacity. The failure of the management to live within its means is another issue”.
“We stop giving financial support to Osun State University (UNIOSUN), an institution with about 12,000 student population about three years ago
and the university is still running on its own till today. Population of LAUTECH is about 33,000 and the difference between the tuition fees being paid by LAUTECH and UNIOSUN is not much,” he stated.
He also mentioned that a private audit firm had been commissioned by both Oyo and Osun to carry out total audit of staff strength, income and expenditure of the school, coupled with how
revenue accruable to the institution was being used.
Aregbesola assured the students of an end in the crisis of LAUTECH soon be over urging them to be calm and law abiding.
The protest demonstrations which took place on Wednesday and Thursday hindered free movements and paralysed business activities in the state’s capital.
