The plans of the Oyo government to institute a replacement multi campus arrangement for the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho is already generating a mixed reactions from stakeholders.
The latest argument on the plan occured among the members of the Oyo State House of Assembly during Thursday plenary.
The lawmakers expressed their separate and diverse views while deliberating on a Bill to affirm the only ownership of the institution which was recently awarded the Oyo government after a protracted ownership crisis between the 2 owners-government of Oyo and Osun states.
The bill scaled through presentation stage at the Oyo state house of Assembly, on Thursday.
While a number of the lawmakers expressed their displeasure on the plan, another seized the chance of the talk to canvassed in support of multi-campus plan and also making case for the situation in their various constituencies.
The proposed LAUTECH Ogbomoso law 2020, provides for the establishment of campuses/colleges/faculties in other towns and cities within the state.
The bill also stipulates that the institution has power to carry and eliminate movable and immovable property also as offer academic, professional, diploma, degree , postgraduate degree programmes.
Additionally, the bill holds that LAUTECH will offer academic and professional programmes that revolve around planning, adaptive, technical maintenance, engineering, scientific, agricultural, medical and allied professional disciplines.
The lawmakers also during the following debates advocated various positions on how best the university should be established and run.
In her own contribution, the lawmaker representing Ogbomoso North constituency, Honourable Wumi Oladeji opposed the multi-campus provision of the bill, arguing that Ogbomoso town are going to be left to suffer economically if the proposed multi-campus system is implementated.
But Honourable Kazeem Isiaka who represents Oyo East/Oyo West constituency, asked that the ‘Technology’ a part of the name of LAUTECH be removed which the varsity should become a standard university running more courses.
Supporting the multi-campus proposal, the Deputy Speaker, Honourable Abiodun Fadeyi demanded that his constituency, Ona Ara, should host one among the proposed satellite campuses.
The duo of Honorable Ayo Fatokun (Akinyele 1 constituency) and his counterpart from Iseyin/Itesiwaju constituency, Honourable Dele Adeola however involved calm within the arguments on the multi-campus pla for the university.
They noted that the stress should get on ensuring the establishment of the institution by law which it should depart on a robust footing.
The Majority leader, Honourable Sanjo Adedoyin and legislator , Honourable Asimiyu Alarape maintained that the only ownership achieved by the Governor Seyi Makinde administration will help address the regular crises that has rocked the institution.
Other lawmakers who praised the intent of the bill prayed for its speedy passage into law.
The bill was thereafter mentioned the House Committee on Education, Science and Technology.
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