After dark comes a glorious dawn. This cannot be more appropriate at any other time than now that these two dynamic Governors have deemed it fit to amicably work out a severance agreement over this great Institution. The ‘Push and pull’ negotiations had dragged on over such a long time, between the immediate past brother Governors of the two states without any meaningful results.
I throw way my salute to these two new dynamic Governors (GSM and GGO) as achievers beyond description!
On the imbroglio between Oyo and Osun state over LAUTECH, many of us in academia and other sectors of education had expressed concerns and made suggestions on the way forward in various fora. In my article in the Nigeriaworld of Saturday, June 22, 2019 titled An Open letter to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, I made several suggestions and expressed optimism that the light at the end of the tunnel was getting closer and brighter. This article would just have ordinarily been a rejoinder to that 2019 article. Today, we are full of joy that the prayers of our Students have now been answered. Many thanks to our bulldozer Governor Makinde and Governor Oyetola. More grease to your elbows.
One cannot but acknowledge the enormity of the good works put in by several committees, on both sides (Oyo and Osun), to be able to bring negotiations to a close. Kudos to all the people involved behind the scene and those on the forefront of the scene. May you all be richly blessed. There is a lesson to learn from this experience for those who could have done this in the past, BUT made it to look impossible and difficult. All of us have now come to realise and accept that with God, ALL things are possible.
I have no doubt that the LAUTECH community now has the responsibility to put back together the damage done to the infrastructure, people psychic, Students’ morale, businesses etc. as they repair the wounds. Our prayer is that God can and will do it for them. Our hearty congratulations to the LAUTECH family as we wish them a ‘speedy recovery’. I am certain that the good people of both Oyo and Osun States will lend their helping hands in the repair and rebuild of the edifice called LAUTECH. It will surely bounce back as one of the BEST State-Owned Universities in Nigeria. It will soon be the cynosure of all eyes in Nigeria.
This severance deal and concession by Osun State of the Institution (LAUTECH), to Oyo State is indeed a landmark achievement.
The good people of Oyo State and Osun State are eternally grateful to these two Governors and the various committees who worked assiduously behind the scene to see this dream actualised. Our students who had suffered for many years are today filled with joy in their hearts singing praise songs. For this, we say our hearty Gbosah! Gbosah!! Gbosah!!! Long live Oyo State and Long live Osun State of Nigeria.
Professor Adekunle Akinyemi is President/CEO of Ceezek Foundation Inc. Pikesville, MD; Chairman/CEO of BookHouse Education Trust of Nigeria, and features writer.
akinyemia7@gmail.com Ibadan, Nigeria
