Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, inaugurated the Governing Council of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, charging the council to provide leadership that would take the institution to the peak of excellence in the world.
The governor charged members of the council to, within a short while, ensure that the institution was ranked among the top ten universities in the world.
He also charged members to oversee and ensure accountability on the part of the institution’s direct administrators.
Governor Makinde stated these while inaugurating the council members at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, on Thursday.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, confirmed that the governor equally called on council members to see their positions as call to duty and service, adding that “this is not a job one gets and goes to sleep.”
The statement quoted the governor as saying that the mandate given to the committee was to take necessary and strategic measures that would make LAUTECH one of the 10 top universities in the world and the first in Africa.
Speaking on the specific mandate being given to the new council, the governor said: “We want you to take the necessary measures and pursue vigorously all strategies and tactics that will make LAUTECH a world-class university. That is the mandate.
“What you are getting is an opportunity to shape this school for future generations. We no longer have the excuse to say one state or the other is holding back the school’s progress. So, I encourage you to get the job done and I am sure you will get it done.”
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the inauguration, the chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Omole said the governor had promised to give the institution all the necessary support to transform and rebuild the university.
He said the committee knew the challenges ahead of it, especially that of a crop of staff that were not motivated, saying that the Council would face the job squarely.
He explained that the institution had a lot of potential but that, unfortunately, somewhere along the line, there was a crisis and the university could no longer focus on its core mandate.
“I am sure that you have heard that the governor has promised to give the institution all the necessary support to transform and rebuild the university. We know there are a lot of challenges, especially some crops of staff that are not motivated. You cannot owe somebody 8-10 months salary and expect such a person to put in the best.
“So, we know we are going to have a lot of challenges but we will overcome them and the university will be put on a proper footing to face the challenges of development desired of a university that is really worthy of its name.
“On the first position that the governor wants us to move the university to, there is nothing impossible. The staff in LAUTECH don’t have inferior brains to those people in the first 10 universities in the world. Our staff have competed favourably with those scholars and we know that, with adequate motivation, incentive and good working environment, all those things can be achieved.”
Members of the Governing Council inaugurated by the governor include: Professor Omole, pro-chancellor and chairman; Mr. Adeosun Olukunle Idowu, Secretary of the Council; Hon. Adekunle Bankole; Professor Lanre Olaniyan and Mrs. Titilayomi Ahmadu.
