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.”
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