Ooni Ogunwusi who stated this at the official opening of the facility along Ife/Ibadan expressway, Ile-Ife, explained that direct employment has been created for over one hundred youths while indirect employment opportunities have equally been created for over five hundred others.

Addressing the gathering through a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Ooni Ogunwusi urged stakeholders especially those in leadership capacities to create platforms capable of engaging the youths productively, to discourage them from involving in criminal acts.

“His Imperial Majesty is sending a strong message through Ife Grand Resort and Industrial Park to all of us here that we should engage our youths and offer them dependable mentorship. This is one among several activities of the Arole Oduduwa and I want us all to emulate this enviable gesture.”

Delivering his address, the Executive Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, lauded ‘Ooni’s exemplary passion for socioeconomic development’.

Governor Oyetola said the initiative is in tandem with his administration’s development agenda which is focused on revitalising the economy and stimulating the local socioeconomic indices for maximum growth.

“For anyone familiar with Kabiyesi’s trajectory and passion for youth and socioeconomic development, this indeed would not come as a surprise.

“In 2019, he organised a Summit on Addressing Growing Youth Unemployment in Nigeria: The Significance of Made in Nigeria and Buy Nigeria, to rally Nigerians to patronise made-in-Nigeria goods.

“Ooni Ogunwusi donated motorised Local Fumigators to States across Nigeria during the Covid-19 pandemic. He also partnered with Afe Babalola on clinical research to develop drugs and vaccines to combat the Coronavirus pandemic.

“As a Government, we are immensely proud of your achievements since your assumption of the throne of your forefathers. This sprawling edifice is another worthy feather in this regard.

“I must note that this resort, no doubt, is in tandem with our Administration’s Development Agenda, which is focused on revitalising our economy and stimulating the local economy for maximum growth. This we are doing by leveraging, in the first instance, our comparative advantage in tourism and culture, mining and agriculture.

“Our infrastructure development plan is also carefully targeted at ensuring that we open up the latent economic potential of our towns by ensuring that our people are supported with the requisite social amenities for a decent living.

“Therefore, we are immensely grateful to Kabiyesi for joining forces with us to strengthen our economy. I urge other royal fathers to take a cue from Kabiyesi by using their influence and instrument of office to support the development of our State.

“Let me employ this medium to stress that initiatives such as Ooni is creating and attracting to Ile-Ife will only thrive and be sustainable in an atmosphere of peace. I therefore appeal to our youths and people to continue to allow peace to reign so that they can enjoy the dividends of the enterprise,” he added.

The event which was heavily attended by top dignitaries including the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, ex governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Ife-born former Deputy Governor of Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore, ex Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs.) Erelu Olusola Obada, Reverend Mother Esther Ajayi, also had traditional rulers, business tycoons and other top dignitaries in attendance.

The Ife Grand Resort and Industrial Park is spread on over 1,000 acres of land, consisting of facilities for lodging/accommodation, a 3, 000 seating capacity Meeting Incentives Conference and Event (MICE) Centre branded ‘Ojaja Arena’ and multiple industrial parks.

Photo Credit : Gbenga Adeniyi

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Former Governor Ayodele Fayose, has insisted that the recently conducted South-West Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, was marred with irregularities, describing the whole exercise as a scam.

It would be recalled that the PDP held its zonal congress last Monday in Osogbo, the Osun state capital where the candidate supported by the camp of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja emerged as the party’s new South-West Zonal Chairman.

Arapaja had 343 votes to defeat Dr Eddy Olafeso, a loyalist to ex-Ekiti Governor , Fayose who scored 330.

Reacting to the exercise while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Fayose, however submitted that he conceded and accepted the outcome not because the process was transparent, but because the party must not lose its quest to take over power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the zone.

According to him, “I have conceded, I conceded not because they won. I conceded because the PDP is a bigger picture. I want to say that conceding does not amount to defeat, it is sheer exhibiting leadership.

“Take a look at the result and the characters behind the result before I will tell you the issue. I am on one side alone; I have on the side of Governor Makinde, two former governors – Segun Oni and Olagunsoye Oyinlola. They have on their side seven deputy governors and two speakers and serving senators.

“The results in quotes, Arapaja scored 343. My candidate Eddy Olafeso scored 330, a difference of 13 votes. I’m glad because that is a show of strength. Whether the result is right or wrong, the world can see in the one-man army that has faced them all and without rigging, they lost”, he continued.

The former Ekiti state gaffer declared that the election was rigged.

Speaking further, Fayose explained that he approached the court to obtain an order to prevent the PDP from conducting the congress in Oyo State over the fear of violence.

He, then alleged that the violence came from Oyo to Osun with 200 buses bearing the number plates of Oyo, adding that they blocked the venue of the exercise.

“They came with cutlasses and guns all night, it was in the public knowledge”, he alleged.

He also accused the collation officer, Senator Chris Anyanwu from Imo State of discrepancies while counting the votes cast.

Fayose, however maintained that he wouldn’t be a party to those who will say the PDP will not move forward.

In his words, “For me, as to that election, it was a scam but I must agree as a leader of the PDP. I have been working for this party. I am one of the voices that cannot be forgotten in the PDP.

“And I will not sit down here and say because of 13 votes, because of manipulation the party must not move forward,” Fayose concluded.

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The NUC, had on Friday, announced that the joint ownership of the 30 year-old Ivory Tower had ceased to be following a mutual agreement between the two states who were hitherto responsible for its funding and management.

It is recalled that the University was founded by the military government of the old Oyo state in 1990 while Osun state was carved out of Oyo in 1991 but the Institution was not among the assets shared between the two states as at that time.

Meanwhile, agitation for ceding of the University to Oyo state began to gain momentum from a section of the state when Osun state established its own state University in December 2006 and the then administration of Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola made a multi campus institution. The call was heightened recently when funding became an issue for the Institution even though governments of the two owner states blamed poor utilization of resources by the school management for this.

In a statement issued at the weekend and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Assistant Publicity Secretary, Prince Ayobami Adejumo, Oyo APC described the NUC’s proclamation as a welcome development even as the party cautioned that “it ought not to be celebrated by any reasonable person, group or government in view of its unpleasant implications which could be understood by only discerning minds.

“We received the news from the NUC with mixed feelings; on one hand, it could address the issues of buck passing and under funding of the great academic institution but on the other hand, the development underscore the fact that a lot still has to be done to entrench unity, love and brotherliness among the peoples of Oyo and Osun states who have just demonstrated lack of trust and cooperation amongst them over this LAUTECH issue.

“As a matter of fact, Gov. Makinde or Oyo PDP did nothing to actualize the sole ownership desire as what happened last Friday was the completion of a process started by a former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala whose people in Ogbomoso pressurized to pursue the goal for obvious reasons. Late Senator Abiola Ajimobi who governed the state between 2011 and 2019 could not have toed the same line because he probably felt it was reasonable for LAUTECH to remain a joint heritage of Oyo and Osun states.

“Meanwhile, it is a height of insincerity and immorality for Gov. Makinde and his lackeys to embark on any celebration over the termination of joint ownership of LAUTECH between the two brother states during his own time. And if anything, Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun state deserves kudos for being magnanimous enough to let go since there are no indication that Oyo state government paid any compensation for taking what is seemingly a greater share from the facilities.

“A snap check with NUC would reveal that Makinde did nothing concrete or special to claim the University from Osun as what essentially worked in favour of the Pacesetters state was the location of the University on its soil in Ogbomoso while Osun also claimed the Teaching Hospital located in its own state capital – Osogbo. We, therefore, challenge Gov. Makinde to make public his strategy deployed to defeat Osun state in the last 18 months as he now claims through his bootlickers.

“It is worthy of note that Gov. Makinde would only make a hero if he could replicate the magic which produced LAUTECH in its early days or the one that manifested the first Technical University in Nigeria. And as the whole world waits patiently for the aftermath of the dramatic cutting of ties between two brother states, we urge Oyo state government to take full advantage of whatever opportunity available to them and ensure that the University does not suffer on account of fake promises which is the pastime of the current PDP administration”, APC submitted.

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First and foremost, I congratulate Governors Seyi Makinde and Gboyega Oyetola on ceding LAUTECH to Oyo-State, the struggle earlier started by Governors Adebayo Alao- Akala and Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

It is on record that LAUTECH was established in the year 1990 and Osun State was created in 1991. However due to infancy of the institution by 1991 the two states Oyo and Osun agreed to continue joint ownership of the institution.

Don’t forget that Governor Abiola Ajimobi became Governor of Oyo-State first , in 2011. ( The ‘LAUTECH marriage” which has been sustained for 20 years).

How can late Ajimobi be the problem! of marriage of twenty years?

When Governors Akala and Oyinlola started the struggle, NUC joined in asset sharing before the completion of the dissolution. Governor Rauf Aregbesola came on board in Osun State and he was not going to let go LAUTECH joint investment of Oyo-State and Osun-State, in 2010. So stalemate, was created, the dissolution cannot be done!

When Senator Ajimobi became Governor in 2011 he met the stalemate and both Government decided to continue the joint ownership of the institution as established since 1991.

At the initial period of 2011-2013 Funding of the institution were being done religiously by the two states. Until 2014 when funding crisis started (the details which are well known with the institution and the Ministries of Education Oyo-State and Osun State).

While commending Governors Makinde and Oyetola for the effort of sole ownership of LAUTECH by Oyo-State.

The ceding  to Oyo-State would have been impossible if Governor Oyetola did not accede.

May God forgive those who are always eager to blame Ajimobi for offence not committed!

Professor Adeniyi Olowofela.
Oyo-State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology. (June 2016- May 28, 2019.)

Commissioner representing, Oyo-State,
Federal Character Commission (July 2, 2020 till date)

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The feud, which was resolved eventually after series of intervention by notable political icons and the National Universities Commission, has been recurrent at the emergence of every new government even when the governors share political membership.

The feud is usually sparked off by arguments about financial responsibilities. Both owners have pointed fingers at each other regarding failure to meet up to provision of grants and other financial roles to the school. However, available records show that between 2011 and 2019 Osun Government has committed up to 26b Naira, as against Oyo’s 4b Naira, as statutory subvention to the LAUTECH.

This is even as most of the University’s teaching and research structures, as well as the administration are situated in, and run from Ogbomoso, including the central administration of the University.

The implication of this is that the “gown-to-town” benefits of LAUTECH are mostly to the full advantage of the Oyo State Government, and specifically by the Ogbomoso town. Medium estate business flourishes in the town close to three decades running because of the fact that all the campuses of LAUTECH, but one, are established in Ogbomoso town.

The town situates seven faculties and the Post-graduate school of LAUTECH, where courses are taught in various fields of pure and applied science, medicine, agriculture, engineering and technology, environmental science. At least 300 administrative staff and more than 25,000 students of the school pay rents to house owners in Ogbomoso annually . In turn, these estate business operators pay taxes and levies, which adds to the revenues of the Oyo State Government monthly and annually.

Only the College of Health Science campus of LAUTECH is located in Osogbo, Osun State. It houses the 3-years clinical study for MBBS, Medical Laboratory Science and Nursing students which are just about a thousand.

Distastefully, a part of this lone structure of the institution is taken out of Osun state and is established in Ogbomoso. Specifically, the Pre-clinical years of study of the courses in the College of Health Science hold at the main campus in Ogbomoso.

THE FIFTH COLUMNISTS

When General Emilio Mola was leading four columns of troops towards Madrid during the 1936-1939 Spanish civil war, he declared that he had a “fifth column” inside the city. At that time, observers of the feud surrounding LAUTECH were not in existence. However, today, they appreciate how General Mola’s use of the expression, “fifth columnist”, best describes the undermining tendencies of some people, which have regularly surfaced almost at the beginning of new administration(s) in Osun and Oyo States with respect to the joint ownership of LAUTECH.

A plausible idea is that some overt or clandestine actions and activities of some partisan groups are aimed at ensuring that the objective of the founding fathers. regarding the joint ownership of LAUTECH is thwarted. This would be so where these fifth columnists are being tempted by what opinion moulders refer to as “structure reality”.

As opposed to the joint ownership idea which is mutually held and operated cognitively, the “structure reality” of the matter of LAUTECH ownership is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent of the buildings and structural facilities and management of the University, all of which are situated in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. According to this school of thought, such is the temptation factor by which the fifth columnists are being encouraged. The plan is to frustrate the other party, the Osun State Government, whose stake, infrastructure wise, is almost nothing.

It is thus reasonable to put into perspectives, what the stake looks like for the Osun State government. Only one, out of the entire structure of the university, is situated in Osun state. In the same vein, more than 90 per cent of the students and staff population of the school, fall in the Oyo State divide.

And going by the records of the financial commitments of the governments of the two states between 2011-2019, Osun government could be said to have more unnecessarily deployed resources to the joint-ownership course. This is, more so, with respect to the paltry 4b Naira subvention records of the Oyo State counterpart against the Osun’s contributions so far.

The 26b Naira subvention record that the Osun government committed within the periods would have made gargantuan impacts if such funds were deployed to the development of the polytechnics, colleges of education owned by government, including the Osun State University, as well as other tertiary institutions in the state.

INTERNAL REVENUE GENERATION OF BOTH UNIVERSITIES

The National Universities Commission, NUC, approved the establishment of the Osun State University on December 21, 2006, as the 30th State University and the 80th in the Nigerian university system. This record shows that the contentious LAUTECH had been established, 16 years earlier, with records of about five convocation.

Current population of LAUTECH’s regular students is about 35,000 as against UNIOSU”s 15,000. Clearly, the former is at greater advantage with regards to revenue generation. Ironically, this relatively older university always go cap-in-hand for funds to pay salaries of its workers and for other expenditures. So, where goes the generated revenues running to billions of Naira every academic session?

While the Osun State Government commits billions of Naira annually to the running of LAUTECH, a joint institution, it hardly received request for subvention from the Osun State University management. This is because with seven colleges in six campuses located in the six geopolitical zones of Osun State, enough revenues are generated and are equally expended judiciously, including the payment of staff salaries and other entitlements, as well as research grants. Therefore, one is encouraged to wonder how LAUTECH had been expending its generated revenues every session over the years.

Two years ago, a visitation panel, chaired by Chief Wole Olanipekun was set up to investigate the crisis rocking the LAUTECH. It was discovered that the school had no fewer than 97 different bank accounts in almost all the commercial banks in Nigeria. This is contrary to the policy of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy specifically put in place to promote transparency. Therefore, the Chief Olanipekun’s panel recommended that, “the accounts of the LAUTECH and its workforce must be audited”. This development constructs a very bad representation of the officials at the helm of affairs of LAUTECH, as well as members of the unions that identify as pressure groups in the School.

Needful to recall that the contentious LAUTECH was originally established through an edict signed on April 23, 1990 by Colonel Sasaeniyan Oresanya, the then military administrator of Oyo State. Its name was changed from Oyo State University of Technology (OSUTECH) to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) after the separation of Osun State from Oyo State in 1991.

Twenty-six years later, a seeming rebirth of the disbanded OSUTECH was suspected, bearing the name- Oyo State Technical University, Ibadan. It is referred to as “The Tech-U”, and “Nigeria’s first and only technical university”, thereby robbing off the age-long characterisation of LAUTECH as the first technical oriented university in Nigeria.

“When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers” is an African proverb which means that the weak get hurt in conflicts between the powerful.

With news headlines such as “Ladoke Akintola University of Technology ASUU disrupts ongoing exams”, “Now that LAUTECH calls off one strike, how long will it take to start another?”, and “LAUTECH: Group alleges plans to attack VC, workers from Osun”, it is it quite obvious that it not well with the University, and this has caused devastating experiences on the lives of thousands of students of the school.

The situation has gone most awry with recent report of an uncovered plans by some workers of the school, “who are from Oyo State, to attack the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Michael Ologunde, and others from Osun”.

In 2012, a Supreme Court ruling delivered by Justice Dahiru Musdapher, upheld the terms of settlement agreed to by the two states. By the rolling. “the Government of Oyo State by itself, Governor, Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, or any officer or organ deriving title or authority from them, from taking any further step to give any directive or instruction contrary to the provisions of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Law, 1990 (as amended), in particular, the joint ownership structure of the university”.

However, considering the current state of affairs In the university, a question seeking answer is: how healthy is the joint ownership idea of LAUTECH at the moment, particularly as the effect of the open feud has moved beyond the usual disruption of academics to the scenario of workers of the school battling against each other. After all, the law, made by man, is amendable or abrogatable by man.

Adebayo Rasheed Mabayoje, writes from Osogbo, Osun State.

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The meetings were held at Ondo street, Bodija, Ibadan residence of the former Governor of the state, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja.

EDITORIAL: Oyo APC, Not Too Late to Unite!

A source close to Ladoja hinted that the meetings were not unconnected with the permultation of the major opposition parties in the southwest ahead of  the 2019 general elections.

At the meeting, in Ladoja’s team were the former secretary to the Oyo state government, Barr. Sharafadeen Alli, Senator Femi Lanleyin, PDP leaders in Oyo State, Prince Yemi Aderibigbe, Barrister Bayo Lawal, Dr. Nureni Adeniran,  Engineer Nureni Adisa, Arch Bashiru Lawal and Hon. Bimbo Adepoju.

Ex-Ondo State Governor and Labour Party Chieftain, Mimiko in a group photograph with former Oyo state governor, Sen Ladoja and team

Former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola who arrived at Ladoja’s house around 9:am on Monday also told journalists that the meeting was not political.

His words, “I am here to visit my brother.”

Also,  after the meeting, Mimiko who recently defected back to Labour Party, (LP) also declined comment, but later said: “this is a private visit, please.

Mega Icon Magazine checks revealed that the two former governors visited Ladoja to woo him into their parties as a result of the seven days ultimatum given to the National Working Committee (NWC)  of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  by the Ladoja’s group, following the crisis in the state chapter of the party.

” We have not decided now.  We are going to meet with our leader, Ladoja to decide our next move but we may have a merger at the end of the day,” the source affirmed.

He noted that after  the meetings,  the former governor and his team would need to review the visits before announcing their next move.

Ladoja recently issued a seven-day ultimatum to the NWC of the PDP over some unsettled crisis rocking the state chapter of the party.

The APC faction otherwise known as ‘Unity Forum’ in the other hand, after a face-off with the governor of the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi threatened to quit the party,  if the NWC refuses to address the crisis.

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