The Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has announced the planned increment of the state’s education budget to 20 per cent.
Makinde announced this during a meeting with stakeholders at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso, on Wednesday.
He also announced the approval of N500 million subvention to LAUTECH to address the demands of its workforce.
He however added that the only condition his government would give the university the said sum was when stakeholders in the school submit a written agreement to his office on how the funds would be spent.
The interactive meeting had students and workers of the institution in attendance.
Others include the University management, representatives of NASU, SSANU and Federating Units of Ogbomoso Indigenes.
During the interactive session, the governor also added that, “My wish for LAUTECH is to compete with the best of institutions in the world.
“Let us push aside the issue of Osun and Oyo. Everybody working here, irrespective of where you are from, it is the duty of the government to ensure you have job security and get your salary as at when due.
“By 9:00am tomorrow (Wednesday), I will inaugurate the committee for Oyo State to negotiate with Osun State, the way forward for LAUTECH.”
Addressing further the issue of joint ownership of the institution, Makinde told the stakeholders that although Oyo State can shoulder the responsibility of funding LAUTECH because his administration is set to raise budgetary allocation to education to 20 per cent, an engagement with Osun State must still take place on how to chart a sustainable path for the University.
“The good news is, tomorrow (Wednesday), I will lay a budget before the State Assembly with, at least, 20 percent for Education. Can Oyo State shoulder the responsibility of sole ownership of LAUTECH? My answer is resounding yes.
“But we do have a lot of work to do. We have an engagement coming up with our brothers and sisters of the State of Osun. We have negotiations that must take place. We can only get ourselves on that sustainable path if we have your support,” he said.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Michael Ologunde, welcomed Governor Makinde to the institution and reeled out some achievements of the institution.
“It is our greatest pleasure to welcome you most heartily to this University which is the best University of Technology and, in Webometric ranking of the world’s renowned assessment organisation, the 7th best in the country.
“We are sure that it is as a consequence of all these attainments that you are passionate for the sustainability of this University so as to be able to achieve its pride of place in the comity of universities all over the world,” Ologunde said.
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