LAUTECH: Your “step aside’ order is unjustifiable— NAAT tells Makinde

The National Association of Academic Technologists of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso has advised the Oyo State Government led by His Excellency, Engineer Abiodun Oluseyi Makinde to follow rule of law in addressing the issue of the school Vice Chancellor, Professor Micheal Ologunde. 

Makinde had on Friday through a memo from the office of Commissioner of Education, Oyo State, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye ordered the Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Olufisayo Ologunde to “step aside”.

Mouthpiece NGR understands that the development has continued to generate tension among staff and students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and by extension other critical stakeholders of the institution.

In a statement jointly signed by its chairman, Comrade Sanusi Wasiu and secretary, Comrade Oyeleye Samson Secretary, on Tuesday, the union condemned the approach of the governor, describing the VC removal as unjustifiable. 

It said: “The government of Governor Makinde is well known to be a champion and apostle of rule of law in the past. It is on record that LAUTECH of today did not become Oyo State property through illegal means but through the sincere effort of the current Oyo State Government under the leadership of Engineer Makinde.”

“One could not but wonder why the issue of the Vice Chancellorship would be so different from how the ownership tussle was resolved through legal means.”

The NAAT equally called the attention of Oyo State Government to the fact that University throughout the globe enjoy what is known as autonomy and LAUTECH has not been and is not different from other Universities across the globe and particularly, Nigeria. 

The statement read in part: “Professor Ologunde is a product of the Governing Council as the Vice Chancellor and the Council should be allowed to determine whether he should step aside or not through fair hearing especially that no allegation was levelled against him in the said memo written by the Commissioner.”

“The National Association of Academic Technologists would not end this address without thanking the Excellency, Governor Oluseyi Makinde for his commitment to the upliftment of the academic standard of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso through regular release of subventions to the institution since the inception of his  administration.”