LAUTECH: Osun Indigenes Exonerate State of Complicity in Crisis

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Indigenes of Osun State working in the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, at the weekend raised the alarm over alleged plans by their counterparts from Oyo State to attack the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Michael Olufisayo Ologunde, and some other individuals from Osun State next week.

A statement signed by the Chairman of a group known as Osun Forum, Mr. Oladele R. Osunmakinde, also described as uncalled for the alleged harassment at university main campus last week of workers and sympathisers of Osun State origin during the commendation service in honour of the departed former Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Professor Taiwo Adewole.

The group called for a stop to preemptive blames by some individuals directed at the government of Osun State, since the two governors are yet to meet to determine who owes what and who doesn’t.

It alluded to records indicating that the two ownerstates have not been adequately alive to their responsibilities on salary payments.

The Oyo State Government in the first three months of salary payments from January to March 2019 released N73 million each which amounted to N219million even though it later released N295million for each other three months of April to June 2019.

“When it came to the turn of Osun State, it also released N300 million since it commenced payment from July 2019 till date which is well marginally above what Oyo State paid during its first three months of salary payments. With this record, fingers should not be directed at only one state, but the two states should be encouraged to do more for the institution in rebuilding the legacy of the best state university status achieved by the past administrations of Oyo and Osun States for several years,” the group said.

Regretting that the people who were traditionally of the same blood are now at daggers drawn over reconcilable disagreement on purported non-payment of staff salary by Osun State Government, the group appealed to Governors Seyi Makinde and Gboyega Oyetola to expedite actions on their planned meeting before xenophobic attack becomes legalised in LAUTECH.

The forum emphasised the need for the two owner states to be more committed in their responsibility towards staff welfare both in LAUTECH, Ogbomoso and the Teaching Hospital in Osogbo, stating that in doing that, the issue of funding and ownership crisis would become a thing of the past.