When LAUTECH convocation can hold— Mouthpiece NGR
Inarguably, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso usually hold her convocation every year in the month of April. Except recently the school was in a state of comatose and unrest due to strike embarked on by both academic and non teaching staff unions.
LAUTECH gates was under lock in 2016, forcing students to sit home while staff also bear the brunt. Some sold their properties for daily breads while some instantly turned to farmers selling cassava and maize. In fact, there was one Oga in faculty of pure and applied sciences that turned himself into a ‘Jaribola’ to feed his family.
Today, they are ‘jollificating’ and even looking fresh due to change of Barton in government. Some have forgotten that they went through hell during the impasse. The atmosphere of the new dawn is taking shape as they all smile to bank ending of the month.
It all looks like everything is working fine. No interrupted academic activities any more and exams seems going on fine. Except for the ownership tussle which is still raising concern. Will Osun concede LAUTECH to Oyo? How feasible is that? That thought keeps giving me sleepless night and makes me continue to wonder how the School intend to hold convocation by April as widely rumored or circulated.
Checks and facts findings by Mouthpiece NGR correspondent on Monday, indicated that the management of the school constituted a committee last week to roll out plans and look for a way the school can hold convocation this coming April.
The school is planning to hold mass convocation ceremony for four sets of its graduands covering 2015/2016, 2016/17, 2017/2018, 2018/19 and 2019/2020 respectively.
A high powered convocation and Thirtieth anniversary committee were reportedly inaugurated to midwife the weeklong grand occasion.
Speaking during a visit to the renowned structural engineer and alumnus of Leeds University, Engineer Aderemi Oseni in Lagos, at the weekend, Ologunde said the era of government being solely responsible for development and provision of everything was gone, making it incumbent on individual citizens to contribute their quotas.
“LAUTECH would be 30 years old in April and we are planning both academic convocation for the award of degrees and endowment convocation to harvest benefactors of the university, whom we plan to have a ‘Hall of Fame’ and position them properly as eminent partners.”
Following this development, many especially some staff and students have begin to wonder how the university management intend to hold convocation without “constituted council” on board.
It was gathered that none of the union had been briefed or invited for a meeting on this let alone in the “know” how the university planned to achieve this.
Though, not official, Oyo state government had in the middle of December, 2019, dissolved Afolabi Oladapo as council chairman and other members constituted by Ajimobi led administration.
The government is yet to constitute another members and there’s no indication if any representatives has been meeting on council matters over the months.
Oyo state government is really interested taking over the institution. Governor Makinde has shown this often and he seems not to be joking about it for inaugurating committee recently to oversee total taking over of LAUTECH.
A Mass- Convocation without arrowhead and constituted Council members on board. In fact, there’s no standing Chancellor because it been long Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu relinquished his position or so to say he’s less concerned about the institution.
As a member of Alumni who played prominent role during the 2016 almighty strike, I can say boldly that the national leader of APC didn’t even utter a word when the edifice was at the brick of falling. He was mute all through and I doubt he even instructed his boys ( Ajimobi & Aregbesola ) to do the needful then.
Perhaps, Vice Chancellor Ologunde may have device other means to make this happen. May be convocation can now take place without constituted council members on board. And of course, during this hard time Osun and Oyo is aiming dagger and pointing accusing fingers to each other. His magical Wands may make different, anyway!
Until then, let’s assume everything will be alright before April so that we can jollificate together.
Whether the council members already dissolved by Oyo government would be restored back since Osun government seems not ready to leave.
Oyedeji Ahmed (LMP)
Publisher Mouthpiece NGR