- Eight Accord Lawmakers Also Donate #1 million
The efforts of the alumni association of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho to raise one billion naira to bail the institution out financially has received major boost as the former Oyo State Governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja has endorsed and donated N5,840,000 to the FundLautech project initiative.
Senator Ladoja presented the cheque for two million naira and another cheque of N3,840,000:00 for his next six months pension salaries to the course. His pension, it was learnt, is N644, 589.15 per month.
Senator Ladoja, who is the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, made the donation while receiving the FundLautech project team at his Bodija residence, along Ondo road, Bodija, Ibadan.
Similarly, eight Accord lawmakers in the Oyo State House of Assembly also pledged a joint donation of one million naira to the project.
The Lawmakers were represented during the donation by Hon. Fatai Adeshina, Hon. Akeem Ademola Ige representing Ibadan South East Constituency I and II, and Hon. Kehinde Oloya representing Ibadan North East Constituency II respectively.
While presenting the cheques, Senator Ladoja, who said though he did not have the privilege of studying at LAUTECH, he knows the value of education, stressing that “if you educate your child, you are ensuring a good future for yourself.”
According to him, “education must be taken very seriously and we must strive to give our children quality education. Whatever happens to LAUTECH happens to us. It is not only that you are serving LAUTECH, you are serving humanity.
“What is going to be the fate of those students who have been in the same class for close to three years? My records are there in LAUTECH as Governor. I wanted to make the school number one but we made fifth position which is quite commendable. Why thinking of the immediate, we must plan for the future. Is it safe to give it to government? Is it safe to trust government with LAUTECH? Is it not good for us to think of ways of making it a private university with affordable fees? What is wrong in having a joint ownership? He queried.
Earlier in his speech, the initiator of FundLautech project, Mr Bayo Adeyinka explained how many current and former students of the institution lost foreign admissions as they were unable to process their transcript, adding that “about 37 consultants have left the university” as a result of the financial problems confronting the institution.
According to him, “it was in a bid to save the destinies of 26,360 undergraduates and 2,601 professional post graduate students and many more that the fundlautech project was birthed. The last time the university mobilised for the NYSC was in 2014. Students have been on the same level since 2015 while their mates in other schools are already in 300 level.”
“The one billion naira we are trying to raise within 90 days is palliative in nature and it is not meant to usurp the duties and responsibilities of the university. It is offering an alternative funding to help provide short term solution to the current impasse.”
“We are not saying the state should not audit the institution, let the school be opened. You cannot even audit when they are not in school.”
“Our long term objective is that by the time this is resolved, we want to use the fund to open an ICT hub in the South West ex-Lagos. This will include the provision of a blanket wifi on the university campus. In addition, the fund will be used to display a PPP funded ICT platform to manage students course registration, results processing and transcripts processing which is a major need of the university”.
“Things have become worse that when they resumed, some courses will have to be re accredited.”
Mr Bayo Adeyinka expressed his deep appreciation to Senator Ladoja and other Accord lawmakers for their kind gesture stressing that what they have done, would have a far reaching effect on education not only for today but for the future.
Packaged by Oyedapo Oyewole
