LAUTECH: Osun Assembly Warns Governing Council On Imminent Crisis

Assures Health Tech Students Of Resumption

By Israel Afolabi

The Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam has warned the governing council of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology to stop actions capable of truncating peace in the troubled school.

He dropped the warning while addressing the management of the school who appeared before the house to defend its 2018 budget estimates.

The Speaker who was represented by the Chairman House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon. Kamil Oyedele disclosed that the action of the council is likely to jeopardise the existing relationship between Oyo and Osun arising from the co-ownership status of the institution.

While reacting to the issue of the appointment of an external Auditor for the school, Salaam explained that the agreement between the two owner states was to appoint external auditor on rotational basis.

He frowned at the move by the Governing council to truncate the agreement, calling on the school leadership to strictly adhere to the understanding between the two states in running the affairs of the institution.

In their separate remarks, other lawmakers condemn the action of the Governing council, which according to them, was designed to rob Osun of its rightful place in the management of the University.

The legislators noted that Osun has displayed maturity in the resolution of the agelong crisis that has almost crippled the institution and ensured its sustenance, stressing the need to move against what they described as management induced crisis in the institution.

The Vice chancellor of the University Professor Adedeji Gbadegesin who defended the total budget estimate of N5,468,242,400 before the legislators, pleaded for the absence of the governing council at the gathering.

Besides, the State Assembly has assured Students of the School of Health Technology, Ilesa whose school was locked of its reopening and resumption for academic activities.

The Assembly in an interactive meeting with the governing council, school management and the Students Union Government of the institution commended the students for the way and manner they conducted themselves during their protest and the maturity displayed during their agitations.

According to the parliament, “We are here to make sure that peace reigns in the school and that lecture commences immediately”.

“We have gone through all your demands and we will make sure that life is more comfortable for you at all cost”, he added.

The Assembly advised the School Management to close communication gap between the council and the Student Union Government (SUG) of the school.

In his remarks, the commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Kosamotu disclosed that many of the issues have been resolved, adding that any moment from now the school will resume for academic activities, specifically on Monday next week.

He said, “I appreciate the intervention of the House of Assembly in this lingering crisis”.

He also appreciated efforts of the governing council, management and SUG towards ensuring that the school is reopened for academic activities.

However, in his remark, the president of the Student Union Government (SUG) Musliudeen Babatunde commended the House of Assembly for the intervention. According to him, “we are all satisfy with all the outcome of the meeting”.

Meanwhile, some of the agencies of government, ministries that have appeared before the House of Assembly include Ministry of Information which defended the sum of N214,466,500, Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) N603,299,380, Ministry of Land and Physical Planning N922,236,200 while the property Development Corporation was step down for another day.

Others are Capital Territory Development Authority with budget estimate of N82,344,350 and New Towns and Growth Area N542,123,920.