Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde (right); Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola; his deputy, Benedict Alabi and Prof. Olu Aina during Makinde’s thank you visit to Oyetola in Osogbo over the resolution of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) ownership crisis… yesterday. PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, yesterday, berated critics condemning the amicable matter with which the ownership crisis rocking the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, was resolved, urging them to look for something meaningful to engage in.
Makinde said what himself and his Osun State counterpart, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, did was to solve a problem which had lingered over several years not minding party differences.
The governor spoke at the Osun State Government Secretariat, Abeere, Osogbo, the state capital, when he paid a “thank-you visit” to Oyetola.
He thanked Oyetola for choosing to be a statesman above partisan politics, noting that what was important to both parties in the ceding of the ownership to Oyo State was getting the students back to school and also ensuring that the university fulfils its original mandate, which is to train graduates that will be impactful on the environment.
“I came to basically thank my brother, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, on the roles that he played which eventually led to us being able to resolve the LAUTECH issue.
“There has been a lot of insinuations out there in the press but what we have both done is to put the interest of our children that are students of that university over and above politics, partisanship and ego.
“But what is important is that we want to get result and get our children back to school. We want to get the university to a point where it can fulfil its original mandate which is to train graduates that will be impactful in our environment, our state, our region and our country.”
In his remarks, Oyetola said that the decision to cede ownership requires statemanly on his part as well as a display of rare courage, which requires rising above political and primordial sentiments, noting that the state made a painful sacrifice.
