Ex-UNIUYO vice-chancellor blames LAUTECH crisis on joints ownership

The Pioneer Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Fola Lasisi, has blamed the recurrent crisis in the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso on the joint ownership of the institution.

He said this in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo on the sidelines of the public presentation of a book entitled, ‘Words of wisdom in 2000 quotes’ authored by Mrs. Rafiat Adetumbi.

The LAUTECH which was established in 1991 is jointly owned by Oyo and Osun States but Lasisi, who is also a former chairman, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities said joint ownership of a varsity had never worked anywhere in Nigeria.

He said the two states would not be committed equally to the development of the university because of the location, employment and other issues which he said would always come up.

He said,” Joint ownership of universities has not worked in many places. When I took over at the Cross River State University. It didn’t work because Akwa Ibom State was created from Cross River State and they were not able to manage that university.

“So, (Gen. Ibrahim) Babangida decided to create the University of Technology for Akwa Ibom because Cross Rivers State already had University of Calabar. Former Governor Clement Isong, who is also a former governor of the Central Bank took a very wise decision that they were having problem running the state university because the two states were unable to work together and because of that the Federal Government should take over the university that was jointly owned.

“That was my own challenge, they now gave it to me to manage and removed it from state control and it succeeded. That was how I became the VC of the University of Uyo. University of Uyo was a successor to the Cross River State University which was jointly owned.”

He blamed former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, for establishing another teaching hospital in Ogbomoso when the university already had a teaching hospital in Osogbo.

He urged the two states to get together and resolve the problem in the interest of the students whose future were being jeopardised due to the problems confronting the school.

Lasisi, who is an engineer, also highlighted the importance of polytechnic education and vocational schools, saying they were very important and the government should seek to inject life into them.

According to him, there are very few competent artisans and middle-level officers in Nigeria because of lack of interest in polytechnic education and technical schools.

The author of ‘Words of wisdom in 2000 quotes,’ who is a graduate of Biological Science said she decided to use her writing skills to write the book rather than wasting her time chatting on the social media and wasting her time doing unproductive things.

She urged the youths to develop a habit of reading, saying it would broaden their horizons and would make them better in whatever area they might find themselves.

Adetumbi said,” The youths can explore the opportunities available on the Internet to improve themselves in so many areas including writing. This is a productive way of using the Internet instead of using it for fraudulent activities.”