*As Education Committee Takes Charge of Further Consideration Of Bill
Following the decision of Oyo State government to change the status of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso from a technical to a conventional university which will necessitate it to be renamed, Ladoke Akintola University, a bill to effect the change has passed through the second in the Oyo State House of Assembly.
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, disclosed in a letter forwarded to the House by the state Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, requesting for change of status of the university.
The bill tagged Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH Ogbomoso (Amendment) Law, 2022 will enable the institution to offer courses in humanities and other fields of study as approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC), while it will also encourage and promote scholarship and conduct research in various fields of learning.
The bill will further seek to change and amend the name of the university to Ladoke Akintola University (LAU).
The amendment will equally allow the University to make provision for the establishment of a suitable pension scheme for all the members of staff of the institution.
Meanwhile, a member representing Ogbomoso North state constituency, Hon. Olawumi Oladeji, in her reaction to the proposed named for the institution, solicited the speedy passage of the bill to give legal framework to the operations and activities of the management of the institution.
Hon. Oladeji also explained that the name of the host town of the university, Ogbomoso, should be maintained, despite the proposition to make the institution a multi-campus.
The lawmaker suggested that the proposed name for the institution should be “Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso”, rather than Ladoke Akintola University that the executive recommended.
Hon. Oladeji cited examples of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and University of Nigeria, Nsukka as some of the conventional universities that bear their names with host communities.
In their separate comments, Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin, Ogbomoso South, Hon Isiaka Kazeem, Oyo East/West, Hon Bamidele Adeola, Iseyin/Itesiwaju and Hon. Simeon Oyeleke, Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere, commended the state Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde for the successes recorded on LAUTECH, Ogbomoso.
According to them, “it was this administration that secured full ownership of the University from Osun state and now it is also seeking to make it a conventional institution.”
While passing the bill to the House Committee on Education headed by Hon. Adebayo Oluwafowokanmi, Speaker, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, said the bill was another effort by the present administration to reposition university education in Oyo State.
Ogundoyin stated that Governor Seyi Makinde had continued to demonstrate his love and passion for all round quality education in the state, saying that making LAUTECH a regular university will give students from Oyo State and beyond opportunity of pursuing any educational career of their choice in the institution.
According to him, “the bill has scaled second reading, we are working on it to ensure that our students and others like them have the opportunity of studying any course they like. This time around, they will not be restricted to technical education or courses alone. This shows how futuristic and forward looking our Governor is,” Oyo Speaker said.
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