The Oyo State House of Assembly has given reasons for renaming the Technical University, Ibadan as The First Technical University, Ibadan.
This followed the passage into law of an amendment to the 2012 law setting up the Technical University, Ibadan, by the Oyo House of Assembly, on Tuesday, presided over by its Speaker, Honourable Olagunju Ojo.
The report as presented by Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Abdulwasi Musah, on behalf of the committee of the whole house, the amendment was to affirm that the university was the first of its kind in Africa, was a public university owned by the Oyo state government and it allowed for multi-campus operation.
Other amendments to the bill are that school is to be funded through the grant received from the state government as well as from other public or private sources.
In light of this, the governing council of the institution can solicit and invite private partners to invest in the university, its programmes and objectives.
The section 15, subsection 3(2b) of the principal law amended states, “Any such partnership, collaboration or engagement with private sector partners may be fully or partly owned and operated by such collaborating party but shall be in furtherance of the overall objectives of the university.”
Chairman, House Committee on Information and Security, who provided further clarifications on the amendments said, “We were made to realize that just like we see Oyo state as a pacesetter, the state is also making a landmark in the history of higher institutions in Nigeria because the technical university is different from University of Technology and is the first in Africa.
“Just like we have First bank as the first to be established in Nigeria, the Head of the administration of the university while meeting with a committee of the whole house, convinced us that technical university, Ibadan, is the first in Africa, and that other universities called technical university did not start like that but only transformed into a technical university. So, it is the christened first technical university is because it is the first of the kind to start with the status of a technical university.”
Meanwhile, the Assembly has expressed worry over accumulated salary arrears of staff of various local government areas (LGAs) in the state, praying Governor Abiola Ajimobi considers giving a bailout to the most indebted LGAs.
Chief Whip, Honourable Akinmoyede Wasiu who brought the situation to the notice of the house, decried that the LGAs were usually left with the inadequate funds as distributed by the State Joint Local Government Account Allocation Committee after the salary of primary school teachers had been statutorily deducted.
He listed the most affected local governments as Lagelu LG, owing seven to eight months; Ibadan North West and Egbeda indebted to the tune of six to seven months’ salary arrears while Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South, Oluyole and Ona Ara local governments had three to four months’ salary arrears.
In his final remarks on the subject matter, Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Olagunju Ojo said he alongside principal officers of the Assembly would meet with the state governor with a view to finding ways to clear the arrears.
Amendment to the Oyo State Environmental Protection Agency bill, 2018, also passed the second reading stage at Tuesday’s plenary
The bill as presented by Honourable Wumi Oladeji of Ogbomoso North constituency aims at regulating the activities of liquefied natural gas wholesalers and retailers and stipulating conditions for their licensing and safety procedure.
Other intents of the amendment are to ensure that no person operates the business of wholesale or retail of liquefied natural gas except without making provision for fire extinguisher, being in a location easily accessible to fire fighting vehicle.
Furthermore, the bill seeks to ensure that the liquefied natural gas business is not carried out in a vicinity of inflammable materials such as acetylene welding operations, naked flames and mobile phone devices.
Packaged by Omotoyosi Jesuleye with additional reports from tribuneonlineng.com
