Fund LAUTECH Project: Ladoja, Accord lawmakers donate N5.8m

Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja (2nd left) with members of the FundLautech project shortly after he endorsed/donated over #5,000,000 to the project at his residence, Bodija, Ibadan, on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja presenting cheques to the initiator of FundLautechproject, Mr Bayo Adeyinka (left) at his residence, Bodija, Ibadan on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. With them is another member of the team. Efforts of the alumni of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, to raise N1billion to save the institution from its current financial crisis and restore its lost glory got a big boost on Wednesday, as a former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, donated N5.84 million to the initiative. Ladoja, who is the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, gave the Fund Lautech Project team a cheque of N2 million and another cheque of N3.84 million which represents his six-month pension. As a former governor, Ladoja receives a monthly pension of N644, 589.15, a sum, Tribune Online gathered, he had been deploying to help the needy since he left office as governor. The eight Accord lawmakers in the state House of Assembly pledged a donation of N1 million to the save LAUTECH project who were received by Ladoja, supported by the lawmakers, at the Bodija residence of the national leader of Accord. The Lawmakers were represented during the donation by Honourable Fatai Adeshina, Honourable Akeem Ige representing Ibadan South East Constituency I and II respectively as well as Honourable Kehinde Oloya who is representing Ibadan North East Constituency II. While presenting the cheques, Ladoja, who said he did not have the privilege of studying at LAUTECH as the institution had not been established when he went to Belgium to study Chemical Engineering, said he knew the value of education and would do everything within his power to support it. “What is going to be the fate of the students who have been in the same class for close to three years? My records are there in LAUTECH as governor. I wanted to make the school number one, but we made the fifth position out of all the universities in Nigeria and number one state-run university. “While thinking of the immediate, we must plan for the future. Is it safe to give it to government? Is it safe to trust government with LAUTECH? Is it not good for us to think of ways of making it a private university with affordable fees? What is wrong in having a joint ownership?” he asked. He noted that any society that valued a good future would invest in the education of its citizens, stressing that “if you educate your child, you are ensuring a good future for yourself.” According to him, “education must be taken very seriously and we must strive to give our children quality education. Whatever happens to LAUTECH affects us.” Earlier , the initiator of Fund Lautech Project, Mr Bayo Adeyinka, who expressed appreciation to Ladoja and the Accord lawmakers, explained how many current and former students of the institution lost foreign admissions as they were unable to process their transcripts, adding that “about 37 consultants have left the university” as a result of the financial crunch confronting the institution. “It was in a bid to save the destinies of 26,360 undergraduates and 2,601 professional post-graduate students and many more that the fund LAUTECH project was birthed. The last time the university mobilised for the NYSC was in 2014. Students have been on the same level since 2015 while their mates in other schools are already in 300 level. “The N1 billion we are trying to raise within 90 days is a palliative and it is not meant to usurp the duties and responsibilities of the university. It is offering an alternative funding to help provide short-term solution to the current impasse. “We are not saying the state should not audit the institution, let the school be opened. You cannot even audit when they are not in school,” he said.

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