The Oyo State Government says it has prepared a bill for the legal framework for the full take off of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, following the ceding of LAUTECH’s sole ownership to Oyo State by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
While the University was ceded to Oyo State, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital was ceded to Osun State, in a resolution that has been described by both governors of Oyo and Osun states as amicable.
Speaking on behalf of the State government, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Oyo State, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, SAN, disclosed this, on Wednesday, while briefing Governor’s office correspondents after the State Executive Council meeting, held at the EXCO Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Secretariat, Ibadan.
He explained that the new legal framework for the school has been captured in a proposed bill titled: “Oyo State LAUTECH Bill, 2020″, which would be sent to the State House of Assembly for consideration and approval on or before Friday 18th Dec, 2020.
Oyewo said, “We chose the other route of having the coexisting laws repealed and bringing in a new law to establish the LAUTECH University with sole ownership vested in Oyo State and to also discontinue the practices and rules that apply to LAUTECH in the joint ownership with Osun State.
“We also made some consequential amendments to the composition of the council and more importantly empower the University to be a multi-campus institution with campuses established in Oyo State as the need arises. The law will now be known as the LAUTECH Law of 2020,”Oyewo affirmed.
The agelong tussle for the sole ownership of LAUTECH was laid to rest on 20th November, 2020, by the NUC, after both governments of Oyo and Osun states agreed to end the institution’s joint ownership, which began in 1990 when LAUTECH was established by the then military government.
Quality education
Similarly, the Oyo State government says it has awarded a contract for the production of exercise books, at a sum of N446 million, expected to be delivered within four weeks; procurement of science equipment for public secondary schools, at N169 million; as well as the construction of 25, 750 units of chairs and desks, awarded at the total cost of N658 million.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, who disclosed this during the briefing, maintained that the move is furtherance of its drive to provide quality learning facilities for public school students in the State.
According to Olaleye, other projects contracted out by the State government is the completion of an abandoned Millennium Secondary School in Ogbomoso, at the total sum of N64 million, which is expected to be completed within eight weeks, in order to promote and improve the standard of education in the State.
Emmanuel Ukoh
