A former deputy governor of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja has revealed that former governor Alao Alala does not have the political will to pull off the dissolution of the joint ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho.
OYOINSIGHT.COM reported that the joint ownership of the institution was dissolved by the Nigeria Universities Commission.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday the Arapaja Media Team, he described Akala as a man struggling to share from the political heroics of Governor Seyi Makinde.
The statement read: “In our recent appraisal of Engr. Seyi Makinde’s achievement in securing the ownership of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology to Oyo State, we made reference to Otunba Alao Akala as the governor who initiated the move towards achieving that but was not successful.
“It is a fact! Let us quote from the write-up. “…
Between 2007 – 2011, Governor Alao Akala embarked on the process but could not achieve this feat despite the fact that the Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola belong to the same Party (PDP) with him. He was unable to muster enough political will to secure the ownership of the University”. However, a rejoinder to that release purportedly written by one Maroof Asudemade an acolyte to Alao Akala missed the point as it employed a strawman’s fallacy to deny a statement of fact. He wrote “The height of Taofeek Arapaja’s intellectual illogic is when he further said that the government of Alao Akala… also lack the political will to see the LAUTECH takeover through.” Any student of language should know that the clause “unable to muster enough political will” does not mean to “lack the political will”. That straw-man’s fallacy committed by the writer is highly unfortunate.
“Aristotle was once asked: “What is truth”? he answered, “Truth is to say of what is, that it is; and of what is not, that it is not” It is the truth that Oyo State succeeded in
getting LAUTECH during the regime of Governor Seyi Abiodun Makinde, and it is equally the truth, that though Akala started the process, he did not succeed.
“We said it the way it is, though it is bitter. Akala’s penchant for struggling to share from the victory and success of others appears to be a reason for his aversion to truth.
“We want to ask, what did Makinde do in LAUTECH saga that Akala and Ajimobi did not do? What political ingredients did Makinde employed but which the duo of Akala and Ajimobi did not muster? Behind the scene efforts of Makinde as (observed by the writer) showed how Makinde consulted with the Olubadan of Ibadan, HRM Oba Saliu Adetunji, who threw his weight by consulting Bola Tinubu who ultimately instructed the Osun Governor Oyetola to allow for the sharing. As simple as this initiative looked or sounded, it was Makinde who employed it and got
the desired result. In fact, Ajimobi battled Olubadan to a standstill not knowing that the amiable Royal Father has the key to unlock the riddle of LAUTECH.
“The political skill and sagacity to do this was given to Makinde by God.
In his unnecessary vituperations, the writer forgot that all good things come from God.
“The late Chief Lamidi Adedibu was a father of Oyo State politics when he was alive. He made a lot of people including Alao Akala. When Akala was rejected in Ogbomoso from contesting as chairman Ogbomoso South by his people, God used Baba Adedibu for him. He made him the Deputy Governor and ultimately the Governor of Oyo State. However, it has been ordained by God that he would be Governor of Oyo State.
“Same goes to Arapaja and so many other political office holders in Oyo State who passed through Adedibu’s political Academy at Molete.
“Alao Akala and Oyinlola were governors in Oyo and Osun respectively. Apart from LAUTECH which was jointly owned by the two states, Governor Oyinlola conceived and built a new state University for Osun State. We wonder what Akala was doing then. Had it been Akala emulated Oyinlola, perhaps Oyo State may not be so eager to take over LAUTECH. However, the writer went ahead to exonerate Ajimobi for
building a Technical University for Oyo State. The Technical University that is not within the reach of a common man’s child. Oyo State has three polytechnics already but we do not have any Conventional University.
“It is a misplacement of priority creating a Technical University when there is no Conventional University on ground, and where there are three comatose Polytechnics. How on earth could anyone who is progressive minded justify Ajimobi’s action?
” In sum, Arapaja remains one of the most veritable leaders we have in Nigeria today. In all the offices he has held, he has performed brilliantly well to the admiration of
all. No stain, no blemish and no EFCC case.
“He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones. A person with skeleton in his cupboard should not initiate search. A word is enough for the wise.”
