It took several hours on Monday before the Oyo State House of Assembly could pass the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso Ownership Bill into law.
The bill, which had scaled through the first and second readings last week was passed to the Committee on Education on Friday for further consideration.
The Committee Chairman, Hon. Oluwafemi Fowokanmi having read and presented the report on Monday before the House for final reading and passage, discovered that some pages of the report had been altered.
The development was brought to the notice of the House during the clause-by-clause consideration by the lawmakers representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju state constituency, Hon. Adeola Bamidele, who moved a motion that the reconsideration of the bill should be started all over.
The rowdy situation generated by the development prompted the Speaker, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin to call for 10 minutes’ recess to enable the House to resolve the situation.
On the issue of multi campuses proposed in the bill, Hon. Ogundoyin had to resolve to the use of voice vote to expunge what some lawmakers alleged to be ambiguous, the phrase “as may be necessary” inserted by the Committee contrary to “shall establish.”
The Speaker, while proffering a lasting solution to the issue of alterations and unnecessary argument that emanated from where satellite campuses of the university will be cited in the bill, urged members to look beyond parochial interest and focus on what will bring general development to the state.
Meanwhile, the bill has been passed into law, and has repealed the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso Law contained in Cap 67, Laws of Oyo State.
With the passage of the bill, provision has now been made for Oyo State to claim the sole ownership of the institution.
Some of provisions in the new bill included “that the Oyo State Governor is now the visitor to the University, that the University shall establish other campuses or colleges in other towns or cities in the state and that the University shall have a Council which shall consist of principal officers.”
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
