LAUTECH sole ownership: Makinde pays thank you visit to Oyetola

Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde on Monday paid a thank-you visit to his Osun State counterpart, Gboyega Oyetola, over the achievement of sole ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.

Governor Makinde in Osogbo said the peaceful resolution arrived at by the two states was a win win for them.

Makinde added that the disengagement is for the interest of Yoruba unity.

He said: “I came here to basically come to thank my brother, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, on the role that he played, which eventually led to us being able to resolve the LAUTECH issue.

“There has been a lot of thoughts, insinuations out there in the Press but what we have both done is to put the interest of our children that are students of that university over and above politics, partisanship and ego. Yes, somebody said that we failed because, in the spirit of regional integration, oneness in the region, we should have been able to jointly manage the institution. And I said that position was well-thought-out and lucid but they missed the point.”

The Governor equally appreciated the efforts of other stakeholders involved in the issue, saying that generation yet unborn will continue to value the role played in resolving the matter.

Makinde further said those who have been trying to play politics of division will always miss the point, adding that the two states will continue to cooperate to achieve progress and prosperity for their zones and the country at large.

“To the naysayers, they should look for other things that will divide us. Politics has not divided us. Party affiliations did not do that. LAUTECH did not do it. And we will continue to cooperate for the progress and prosperity of our both states, our zone, and our country”, Makinde said.

Responding, Governor Oyetola admitted that the ownership by Oyo was achieved because the two states ignore partinsanship and looked at the matter critically in the best interest of the students, stakeholders, the two states and the country at large.

Oyetola said: “Our case is unique because we put aside partisan politics and looked at it critically, perhaps because our background is private-sector driven. When you have a problem, you must proffer a solution and don’t think it will disappear. We believe it is in the best interest of all of us. We said Oyo should have ownership in a manner that will not affect the chances of our students.”