Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, said the state is poised to secure the conversion of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso to a conventional university.
Makinde made this disclosure when he received the report of the state negotiation committee on LAUTECH ownership, led by Professor Ayodeji Omole, at governor’s office, Ibadan.
He assured that the process will soon be activated with the state government writing the National Universities Commission (NUC) to seek the conversion of LAUTECH to a conventional university.
“We will apply to the National Universities Commission to convert LAUTECH from a University of Technology to a conventional university so that courses such as law can be taught at the institution.
“We will appoint the governing council to reflect the new ownership and this will birth a new management within the next couple of weeks,” Makinde said.
The event also saw Makinde announce that the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Iseyin will be created this year.
The college is expected to serve as a campus of LAUTECH.
Makinde said, “You will recall that I promised that we will announce the creation of a higher institution in Iseyin. A decision has been taken and that decision is that the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences will open its campus in Iseyin this year.”
Tendering the committee report, Omole reported that the committee uncovered a lot during a forensic audit of LAUTECH.
He urged the state government not to put aside the revelations in the interest of the university.
Furthermore, Omole pointed out that the negotiation for sole ownership of LAUTECH by Oyo State almost broke down due to ‘obvious disagreements, uncomfortable realities and fading unrealistic expectations.’
To resolve the quagmire, he said the committee had to co-opt General Oladayo Popoola and Ambassador Ibironke Adefope whose experiences in arbitration and conflict management came in handy.
