Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) was established in 1990 by the old Oyo State with the main campus located in Ogbomoso, while the teaching hospital was established in Osogbo. Oyo state and Osun state have had numerous disputes over the years on the ownership and management of the institution.
However, the National Universities Commission (NUC) seems to have arrived at a solution agreed upon by the two states. After a mutual understanding of both parties, the Oyo state government takes ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, main campus.
While Osun state government owns the College of Health Sciences, Osogbo. This act brought about an end to the overdue issues between the two states.
In light of this new agreement, the joint ownership of LAUTECH has been formally dissolved.
Professor Abubakar Rasheed, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, announced that the resolution of the impasse happened during a press conference in Abuja.
Prof. Rasheed said, “It is gratifying to note that, after extensive deliberations, negotiations and consultations, both owner states mutually agreed to the terms and the joint ownership of LAUTECH was formally dissolved.
“The mutually agreed dissolution was formalised through the signing of a memorandum of agreement by the executive governors of Oyo and Osun states, witnessed by the attorneys-general of both states, giving legal effect to the transfer of ownership of LAUTECH to the Government of Oyo State and the College of Health Sciences, Osogbo to the Government of Osun State”.
The NUC CEO said, “In response to renewed appeals and calls by various stakeholders for further intervention by the NUC, including a meeting with the governor of Oyo State, a tripartite committee, comprising representatives of Osun and Oyo states, chaired by the NUC Deputy Executive Secretary (Academics), was constituted to interface with stakeholders towards finding a lasting solution to the seemingly intractable crisis.
“The tripartite committee commenced its assignment on March 15, 2020. It paid courtesy visits and held extensive meetings and interactions with the governors of Osun and Oyo states and other stakeholders, including the management and staff of the institutions, as well as staff unions.
“The committee also received written memoranda/position papers from the university management, staff unions, and the governments of Osun and Oyo states, in a bid to achieve an equitable and mutually agreeable dissolution of the joint ownership of LAUTECH.”
