NUC SETS UP TRANSITION COMMITTEE FOR LAUTECH

The National Universities Commission on Tuesday set up a seven-member transition committee to oversee the affairs of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.

The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, who inaugurated the committee, said it had three months within which to conclude its assignment.

He added that the decision followed the inability of the governments of Osun and Oyo states, the joint owners of the institution to end a lingering feud on the ownership of the institution.

The development has led to disruption of academic activities at LAUTECH for several months.

Okojie said the NUC could not sit by and watch while the fate of thousands of workers and students of the institution hung in the balance.

The committee is expected to submit a report which is expected to contain details of assets and liabilities of the institution to enable stakeholders take a decision on the fate of the institution.

The committee is made up of Prof. Chiedu Mafiana (Director, NUC) as chairman, Prof. Dakas Dakas (former Attorney-General), Mr. Ahmed Mohammed (quantity surveyor) and Mr. Paul Osaji(estate valuer) as members.

Other members include Dr. Chris Tamuno (former registrar), Mrs. Ubong Etuk (chartered accountant) and Dr. N.B Saliu (Deputy Director, NUC) as secretary.

The Federal Government had on September 3, dissolved the governing council of the university, following the expiration of a deadline given to the two owner states to resolve the dispute.

Mafiana, who addressed journalists after a closed door meeting with representatives of the two owner states, said the decision was taken jointly.

The two states were represented by the secretaries to their governments and commissioners for Education: Chief L. A. Olakojo and Prof. Taoheed Adedoja for Oyo State; as well as Alhaji Kazeem Adio and Mr. Kolawole Hassan for Osun State.

Some of the decisions reached at the meeting included an agreement that the head of the transition committee shall not be an indigene of any of the states in the South-West geo-political zone.

Similarly, during the period of the transition period, the roles of visitors to the university and vice-chancellor shall be suspended.

But the university shall still retain its present admission quota for both Osun and Oyo states in the 2010/2011 admission session.

Again, the interest of the workers and students shall be fully protected irrespective of their states of origin.

Also, the existing funding arrangements by the two states governments shall be retained during the transition period and the commission shall apply the necessary sanctions without further recourse to the proprietors of LAUTECH, should there be any interference by either of the two state governments or their proxies.

The terms of reference of the transition committee are:

* responsible for the day-to-day management of the institution for the three month transition period;

* responsible for the sharing of assets and liabilities of the university; and

* concluding the process for the 2010/2011 admissions within the existing arrangements of the two states