LAUTECH: Osun State Govt Lacks Political Will For Continued Joint Ownership Of Institution, Oyo Must Take Over Now— Oyo Workers Forum
By Henry Odeh
Members of the Oyo state forum made of Oyo state indigens working in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, led by their state chairman, Chief Adeniyi Adediran, has cried out in a protest at the office of the executive governor of Oyo state, secretariat Ibadan yesterday as they demand for governor Makinde’s urgent intervention on the lingering crisis rocking the institution for almost a decade and therefore, called on immediate termination of joint ownership arrangement of the institution as it noted that Osun state govt lacks the political will for continued joint ownership.
The workers are calling for urgent termination of joint ownership of LAUTECH as they appealed to the Oyo state government to declare publicly the desire to take over full administration, of the school and to become sole owner of the institution in order to put a an end to the seemingly endless financial crisis emanating from lack of responsiveness to responsibility on the part of Osun state government, the group said.
The forum accused government of Osun state of using propaganda to frustrate efforts of its Oyo state counterpart by not projecting non the true situation of things to the press thereby, deliberately misinforming unsuspecting members of the public about the true state of things with regards to its (Osun state) failure to live up to her financial obligation to the institution.
The forum recalled that despite the persistent insistence on lack of funds by the Osun state govt to fulfill its obligation of counterpart funding, the state govt still managed to pay workers at the Osun state university and LAUTECH Teaching hospital, Oshogbo an up to date salaries with no single dime owed. They wonder how Osun govt was able to pay its state owned institutions that are domiciled in Osun state an up to date salaries yet, giving excuses when it comes to LAUTECH, which the state jointly own with Oyo state.
The forum stated that both states agreed in principle and practice in 2013 that each state would fund the institution through subventions augmented by internally generated revenue (IGR) in their respective states that Oyo state will be responsible for payment of salaries of workers in the institution between January to June of every year while Osun state will take over payment between July and December.
He said it is unfortunate that Osun state has consistently reneged on its financial obligation. He stated further that the total amount owed to workers of the institution presently is over 11bn (eleven billion), while Osun state owes about 7bn Oyo state owes about 4bn as the institution is been owed eleven months salary as at present.
The workers forum noted that Oyo state government has always shown commitment and political will to the institution through prompt payment of its counterpart fund adding that even when there were situation of pausity of funds as a result of bad economic situation, Oyo state government always find means to source for funds to meet its financial obligation even though it may not be adequate atimes.
They are therefore demanding without further delay, the full take over of the institution by Oyo state government to save the citadel of learning from eventual collaps.
