OYOINSIGHT.COM recalls that the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC, had last Friday helped both states to resolve the ownership crisis rocking LAUTECH occassioned by funding by ceding the Institution in Ogbomoso to Oyo, while the College of health in Osogbo was ceded to Osun.
Egbeleke spoke in an interview with Aanuoluwapo Omorinde aired yesterday on IMPACT POINT, a current affairs programme on IBR 92.5 FM Ibadan monitored by OYOINSIGHT.COM.Dismissing the claim of the APC in Oyo State that Governor Seyi Makinde has not done anything extra-ordinary by facilitating the sole ownership of LAUTECH for Oyo State as he only completed a process initiated by former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Egbeleke described the statement issues by the opposition party as unfortunate.
“If he (Governor Seyi Makinde) decided not to follow whatever Governor Akala initiated then that is it! Why can’t Governor Ajimobi follow what Governor Akala initiated? So, that is not an excuse. If it happens during their tenure, they will take the glory so, I don’t think that statement makes sense”.
On the assertion that Aregbesola frustrated the efforts of late Ajimobi, Egbeleke admitted that it is true but added that it was unintentional.
According to him “the conditions Osun State found itself in terms of financial capability at that time wasn’t palatable. Osun happened to be in debt then. We met Governor Aregbesola during the fund LAUTECH project and at least, we had like two hours closed door meeting with him. He opened the books and we saw that there is no way and there was a lot of debt on ground”.
“At that time, Oyo was owing about 1.5 billion naira and Osun was owing over 5 billion naira. Definitely, the whole LAUTECH’s problem was Osun. If Osun had paid 50 per cent of what it was owing LAUTECH then, we would not be bere. Oyo and Osun did not have the money then. Some people can query what they spent their money on but that is it”.
