The Nation Newspaper

Tag: LAUTECH

  • Forces against a pro-chancellor

    The appointment of Prof Wale Omole as pro-chancellor and Governing Council chairman of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, is being opposed by some students of the school. Their counterparts in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, have joined forces with them. DHIKRU AKINOLA (400-Level Political Science, OAU) writes.

    The fortunes of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, sank at the height of the rift between the administrations of former Governors Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo) and Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun). The institution is owned by both states.

    In the heat of the disagreement, the institution’s structures were almost divided between both states as the feuding former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors took decisions favourable to indigenes of their states.

    To rescue the school from the abyss, the current Visitors – Governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) – appointed Prof Wale Omole, former Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, LAUTECH’s pro-chancellor and Governing Council chairman.

    Given Omole’s vast experience in university administration and international exposure, many commend his appointment, but OAU and LAUTECH students feel he does not deserve the job.

    For LAUTECH and OAU students, Omole’s selection is a misnomer, which the Visitors must correct.

    Omole was VC when suspected cultists invaded OAU on July 10, 1999, killing five Students’ Union leaders. The students believe the bloody attack was sponsored from within. Three days after the killing, Omole was removed by the Federal Government following a breakdown of law and order in the institution.

    To show their displeasure, some OAU students and alumni have petitioned Ajimobi and Aregbesola, detailing what they call Omole’s past “atrocities”.

    A former OAU Students’ Union president, Lanre Adeleke, believed to have been the target of the July 10, 1999 attack, also petitioned the Oyo and Osun state governments over the matter.

    The petition reads: “My protest to Your Excellencies is not unconnected with the performance of your appointee while he was Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, particularly the murder of the five students – George Yemi Iwilade, Ekede Efe, Tunde Oke, Yemi Ajiteru and Eviano Ekelemu – which till today remains unresolved. As a first hand witness of the events that took place in 1999, I make bold to say that a person under whose watch, a university lost five promising youths in questionable circumstances, is not fit to be pro-Chancellor of a university.”

    Adeleke said the Justice Okon Etam (rtd) panel set up by the Federal Government, in its report, indicted Omole.

    The petitioner added: “Your Excellencies, it is my belief that such a person should not be allowed to partake in the administration of a citadel of learning.”

    A former Students’ Union president in OAU, Saburi Akinola, who was detained for eight months after the 2007 governorship election in Osun, urged the governors to rescind Omole’s appointment.

    The co-ordinator of Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Taiwo Hassan, said the group was not in support of Omole’s appointment. Some OAU students expressed their opposition to Omole’s appointment on social media.

    A group of OAU students, after hours of deliberations at the Obafemi Awolowo Hall Cafe, in a communiqué, signed by them under the aegis of the All Student-Activists, rejected the appointment.

    They said:“In our view, he is not worthy of leading LAUTECH. We support the protest of LAUTECH students against Prof Omole’s appointment, and we call on the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to organise a demonstration to effect the termination of Prof Omole’s appointment.”

  • LAUTECH inducts 71 doctors

    LAUTECH inducts 71 doctors

    he Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has admitted 71 newly qualified doctors of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso into the medical profession.

    Speaking during the 10th Induction, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof A. S. Gbadegesin, said, with the joint efforts of the owner states (Oyo and Osun states) and doggedness of its workers, the institution has confronted its challenges.

    He felicitated with the inductees aand their parents for the successful completion of their medical programmes and commended the owner states for their financial support.

    He said the institution would employ more lecturers, provide funds for research and encourage publication in both local and international journals.

    The Provost of the College, Prof Ayoade Adesokan, said the College of Health Sciences had passed through a dark tunnel where all hope seemed lost, but at the end of the tunnel it was ushered into a shinning light of glory.

    The Provost felicitated with the inductees who passed through hardship and pain and eventually made it to the end.

    He appealed to the new Doctors to always remember their Physician’s Oath of declaration, and to exercise their profession to the best of their knowledge and ability for the good, safety and welfare of all persons committing themselves to their care and attention.

     

  • LAUTECH student found dead

    Who killed Miss Adaramoye Oluwaseun, a 100-level student of the Department of Management and Accounting, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State?

    Was she murdered by ritualists?

    These are the questions on the minds of students and policemen handling the case.

    The mutilated body of the Ondo State-born Oluwaseun was found in a building under construction around Jastok Guest House last Thursday.

    Her skull and stomach were open. Her brain and some organs were missing. Her private part was shaven.

    It was learnt that Oluwaseun left home two Sundays ago and her whereabout was unknown until last Wednesday, when she was absent at an examination.

    It was learnt that her family picked up her remains last Friday for burial.

    Students have urged the police to expose her killer(s).

    One of them, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “We have had enough of these dastardly acts. We appreciate efforts by the police to fish out those involved in the murder and prosecute them. Our lives are not safe.

    “We are often attacked by armed criminals, with nobody to come to our rescue. Several reports have been lodged in the past, but nothing was done. We are at the mercy of God.”

     

  • LAUTECH to begin drug production

    LAUTECH to begin drug production

    Prof.  Olufemi Fadiora, the Chief Medical Director of  Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, said on Monday that the hospital would  soon commence drug manufacturing in commercial quantity.

    Fadiora, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo, said the hospital would not derail from its mandate of  ensuring qualitative health care.

    He said the  hospital had registered ‘’LAUTECH Pharmaceutical Company Limited’’ with a view to preparing the ground for the take-off  of  production.

    Fadiora said the  hospital was  capable of  producing about 10,000 bottles of assorted liquid syrup per day for adults and children.

    “ Apart from producing our own drugs, we will play a major role in providing supplements for other hospitals that may want to buy from us.

    “ We will ensure strict compliance with  general manufacturing practices  and maintain standards at all times,’’  he added.

    Fadiora said all necessary protocols had been followed, including  inspection by  the Pharmacists Council of  Nigeria (PCN).

    He said the facility owed its continuous success to the cooperation of the two owner-states of Oyo and Osun.

  • Robbers shoot two LAUTECH students

    Two students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) were on Saturday shot by robbers at their hostel in Aroje.

    The incident occurred around 9pm.

    The victims are Kamarudeen Kazeem, a 400-level student of the Department of Statistics and Adebisi Gbenga, a 400-level student of the Department of Management and Accounting.

    Kazeem is still recuperating at a private hospital, but Gbenga has been discharged.

    Confirming the incident, the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Mr. Rufus Ayorinde, said: “We receive distress calls regularly from our colleagues at their respective hostels whenever these criminals invade their areas. But we are handicapped and cannot provide the needed assistance. Only one vehicle is allocated to the SUG and it must not operate beyond 4pm daily.

    “When we contact security personnel in the institution for assistance, they usually tell us that they are instructed not to attend to any matter outside the campus, thus leaving the defenceless students at the mercy of the men of the underworld.”

    Efforts to contact the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sulaiman Gdadegesin, failed, as he was said to be away on an official assignment.

    An official of the university, who pleaded for anonymity, said neither the SUG nor the affected students have complained to the management.

    On whether the SUG is allowed to use the vehicle allocated to it beyond 4pm, the official said “only the VC can comment on that”.

    Such attacks on students have become a regular occurrence in Ogbomoso.

    The institution, which has over 30,000 students, is not residential and the students reside in private hostels.

    In recent times, students staying off campus have become the target of hoodlums, who snatch their bags when they are going for lectures early in the morning and while returning at night.

    Students sometime leave their homes as early as 5:30am to meet up with 7am lectures.

    One of them said: “While waiting for commercial motorcyclists, men of the underworld will just appear suddenly, armed with cutlasses, iron rods, big sticks and sometimes guns. They snatch our bags, which usually contain ATM cards, laptops cash and vital documents.”

    Some of victims, Miss Oni Ibukunoluwa and Miss Adeola Adeniran narrated their ordeals to The Nation.

    They said: “The hoodlums, mainly young guys, beat up and injure students found with nothing on them. They (hoodlums) snatched our bags containing ATM cards, mobile phones, laptops and cash.”

    The hoodlums also invade students’ hostels at night and dispossess them of their belongings.

    In some cases, female students are gang-raped by gunmen.

  • LAUTECH gets governing council

    The owner states of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Osun and Oyo states, have set up a Governing Council for the institution.

    In a statement, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Sunday Akere said Governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) acted in accordance with the Edict of 1990, as amended.

    The council is chaired by a former Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof. Wale Omole.

    It has three representatives from each of the owner states.

    Representing Osun State are Prof. Richard Olaniyan, Prof. O. Ladipo and Prof. Moses Awogbade.

    Mr. Are Abdul-Salam, Dr. Wale Okediran and Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) are representing Oyo State.

    Other members of the council are LAUTECH Vice-Chancellor Prof. Gbadegesin Sulaimon; his deputy; three persons from the Senate; two persons from the congregation; one person from the Alumni Association and the permanent secretaries of the Education and Finance ministries of the owner states.

    Akere said the institution’s Registrar is the council’s secretary.

     

  • Suspended student wins union presidency

    Suspended student wins union presidency

    Six years ago, Chris Taiwo was placed on suspension by the authorities of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, after he lost bid to be elected as president of the Students’ Union Government (SUG).

    During the election held last week, Chris emerged leader of the union. In the build up to the poll, aspirants thronged the campus and off-campus hostels with their supporters sharing posters to canvass for votes. They also stationed billboards at strategic places for awareness.

    The election was held simultaneously in the six faculties on the Ogbomoso campus and also at the College of Health Sciences, Osogbo. Security personnel including Man O’ War and cadets were drafted to maintain peace during the process. Red Cross officials and LAUTECH Road Safety Corps were on hand to ensure smooth process.

    To ensure the best got elected, the Union of Campus Journalists organised a debate for the aspirants. On the election day, members of the electoral commission with Vice-Chancellor, Prof Sulaiman Gbadegesin, moved round the campus to monitor the election.

    The process was marred by low turnout of students. When the election ended, collation exercise could not follow immediately because ballot boxes were being transported from Osogbo. Students and observers besieged the convocation ground, the venue of the collation.

    Around 11:30 pm in the evening, the results were announced.

    Chris was returned as the president-elect. In 2007, he was suspended because of the controversy that trailed his defeat in union election. He, however, wrote another entrance exam and was re-admitted into his former department.

    He also lost the union election last session but re-contested and won last week. As his name was announced as the winner, his supporters shouted “Abraham Lincoln of LAUTECH”.

    Declaring the winner, the chairman of the electoral commission, Dr Siyanbade Adewale, said Chris garnered 1,992 votes to defeat his close rival, Bolanle Sherrifdeen, who polled 1,473 votes.

    Others elected include Calista Atanye, Vice-President 1, Emmanuel Fadeni, Vice-President II, Sheriffdeen Hamzat, General Secretary, Adeboye Kuta, Assistant General Secretary, Abdulrasheed Adewale, Financial Secretary, Kayode Alabi, Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Kolawole, Welfare Director, Ayoola Badmus, Sports Director and Abayomi Adams, Social Director.

    The elected officials have since been sworn in. Chris pledged not to renege on his campaign promises.

     

  • LAUTECH Teaching Hospital workers suspend strike

    Workers of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, have suspended their week-long strike.

    The workers were protesting the payment of their salary and allowances to Osogbo, the Osun State capital, by the Oyo State Government.

    They insisted that the hospital in Ogbomosho is an autonomous institution that should not be tied to the apron strings of its counterpart in Osogbo.

    One of the workers said: “The harrowing experiences we go through whenever we go to Osogbo to collect our salary are better imagined than experienced.

    “We are treated like second-class citizens and subjected to all sorts of psychological turmoil. It is also unthinkable for us to be working in Ogbomosho and go to another state to collect our salary. Enough is enough. We are no more going to Osogbo.”

    A top official of the hospital said they suspended the strike because the government met with the institution’s management and the workers’ union and agreed to pay half of the salary to Osogbo and the remaining half to the hospital in Ogbomoso.

    He said they rejected the agreement, adding that another meeting was ongoing to resolve the matter.

     

  • Attention, LAUTECH Vice -Chancellor

    Attention, LAUTECH Vice -Chancellor

    SIR: Since his appointment as the acting Vice Chancellor, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, Prof. (Prince) Adeniyi Suleiman Gbadegesin has proved that the confidence reposed in him by the government of Oyo State is not misplaced. From the feelers from the institution, he has succeeded in clearing the Augean stable and restored the institution back on the path of fiscal discipline and sanity, which years of inept leadership has denied her. He has equally facilitated uninterrupted academic calendar through zero tolerance for workers’ strike, student unrest, which his administrative policies have checkmated. Among other things Gbadegesin has made efforts to introduce moral discipline on the campus by introducing dress code for the students of the institution. It is equally hearth warming that the crisis over the ownership of the institution has been nipped in the bud during his. tenure. All the above pointed to the fact that Prof. Gbadegesin is out to restore the lost glory of LAUTECH.

    In pursuit of this object however, the V.C is advised to direct his searchlight to the academic activities in some faculties as regards poor performances of some students which were actually caused by negligence and wickedness on the part of some staff of the institution. Of particular interest is the Department of Earth Sciences. Some of the allegation, which some students of this department leveled against the authority of the Department which the Vice Chancellor should investigate include delay in releasing the examination results of students, missing of students answer scripts, extortions through payment for field works, which the students many never go, unilateral withdrawal of students by the department, and sexual harassment. Some student also alleged that dearth of professors in this department has turned the only PHD holder and a long time HOD to a tin god and a dictator whose words are laws that cannot be challenged by the Senate of the university. The students allege that through his authority, many students have been expelled based on poor academic performances that are orchestrated with the connivance of some subjective academic staff of the department.

    The allegations may not necessarily be true in their entirety; this is because many students are not trust worthy, unserious, undisciplined and lazy. At times they look for excuses to justify their failures. Nevertheless, the allegations are worth investigating because there are many students in the department who have spent up to 10 years and whose fates hang in the balance unless the VC gives the matter urgent attention it required. The news emanating from the departments is not helping the image of LAUTECH. The earlier the department is sanitized the better.

    •Adewuyi Adegbite

    Apake, Ogbomoso.

  • Ogbomoso residents protest alleged neglect of LAUTECH College

    Residents of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have protested the alleged neglect of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) College of Health Sciences and the Teaching Hospital.

    They marched on major streets, carrying placards with inscriptions, such as: “No to the marginalisation of the College of Health Sciences and the Teaching Hospital”; “Governor Ajimobi, speak up Now” and “College of Health Sciences has come to stay in Ogbomoso,” among others.

    All entrances into LAUTECH’s main campus, the College of Health Sciences and the Teaching Hospital were barricaded by the protesters, who chased workers out of their offices.

    The ever-busy Ilorin-Ogbomoso-Oyo highway was closed to traffic, as the protesters made bonfires on the road.

    Though armed policemen patrolled the streets to prevent the breakdown of law and order, there was no casualty report.

    Speaking through Mr. Akeem Aleem, the protesters said their action became imperative in view of some unpleasant developments at the college.

    Aleem said: “What is the justification for sending the salary of teaching hospital workers in Ogbomoso to Osogbo, the Osun State capital, before payment can be effected.

    “What is the status of the college as regards workers’ welfare and why? Since it was inaugurated, the College of Health Sciences is yet to have electricity, which makes learning unbearable for the students.”

    When the protesters got to the palace, the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Ajagungbade, urged them to conduct themselves with decorum and refrain from acts that can disrupt the peace.

    He said: “The people of Ogbomoso are tolerant, peace-loving and accommodating, but they can be very tough and resolute, if their rights are trampled upon.

    “The fact that the protesters are mainly indigenes of the town, without any LAUTECH staff joining them, shows that the people are opposed to happenings in the two institutions.”

    The monarch told LAUTECH’s Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof Sulaiman Gbadegesin, who was reportedly at the palace, to look into the people’s complaints.