Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state has stated that his administration cannot continue to fund Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) as the state is financially incapacitated.
LAUTECH students last week blocked the entrance to the Osun State Government House, Osogbo, displaying placards and condemning the state government
Reacting to the protest, Aregbesola house,denied the claims in some quarters that his government was not concerned with the issue.
”This is not a matter of not having interest in LAUTECH. With the economic realities on ground, I cannot continue with the pattern of funding the school because we are financially incapacitated.
”I am incapable. The funds are not just there. Though I still make contributions and my deputy governor is here to testify that I still sign cheques to make payments every month to LAUTECH. It is small. It is not a matter of interest, but incapacity. The failure of the management to live within its means is another issue.
”We stopped giving financial support to Osun State University (UNIOSUN), an institution with about 12,000 student population about three years ago and the university is still running on its own till today.
”The population of LAUTECH is about 33,000 and the difference between the tuition fees being paid by LAUTECH and UNIOSUN is not much,” he said.