The visitation panel jointly set up by the Oyo and Osun state governments, over the crisis at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), has begun sitting over the institution’s ownership tussle.
The 21year-old tertiary institution had in recent time been tangled in an ownership tussle, one which had nearly degenerated to violence, but for the intervention of security agents.
A seven-member panel headed by Mr Wole Olanipekun (SAN), was created on Wednesday, October 19, after a meeting between the two owner states, led by the Governors, Abiola Ajimobi and Rauf Aregbesola respectively.
At the recent inaugural meeting held at the senate building of the institution in Ogbomoso, the Chairman, Mr Olanipekun, gave the assurance that the disagreement which resulted from inadequate funding would be resolved soon.
He mentioned that he had absolute confidence in members of the panel who would work to restore academic, administrative as well as financial sanity to the institution, which was once noted for its highly rated academic standard.
He recalled that the University had been paralyzed for over 20 weeks, due to lack of funding as well as the disagreements.
However, Mr Olanipekun stated that his wealth of experience as a Pro-chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo and a former Pro-Chancellor of University of Ibadan, would be brought to bear on the outcome of the panel.
The Chairman further assured the people to expect revitalized academic excellence and outstanding learning outcomes from the university, as he says that would take back its pride of place.