It is important that discussions about LAUTECH, workers’ welfare and the ongoing public discussion in Oyo State are grounded in facts and the full context of the institution’s history.
Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s concerns about workers’ welfare should be placed side-by-side on his antecedents and records in previous positions held. Meanwhile, information has it that he owed 18 months salaries and locked up union leaders who dared advocate for their rights.
The relationship between LAUTECH and Governor Seyi Makinde has become something more of a family affair. It is on record that, since Oyo State assumed full ownership of the institution following the dissolution of its joint ownership arrangement with Osun State, the Engr. Seyi Makinde’s administration has undertaken substantial commitments to the university’s development and sustainability.
The Makinde’s administration has reached almost 70% repayment of its financial obligations to Osun State under the ownership agreement. This represents a significant commitment towards securing the institution’s long-term future under Oyo State’s sole-ownership.
To further show commitment, ₦6,823,476,618.60 was paid in various arrears and staff entitlements between 2023 and October 2026 alone.
This payment schedule covers gratuities, omitted promotion arrears, the 2023 consequential adjustment, EA/EAA, deductions, minimum wage arrears, professorial arrears and other outstanding obligations.
This figure does not represent the administration’s full financial commitment to LAUTECH since the takeover.
The Engr Seyi Makinde’s administration has continued to address financial obligations, paid Salaries as and when due and increased the subvention to the university from #275m which was not regular from the previous administration to #510m and invest in the institution since assuming sole ownership.
The Makinde’s administration has supported LAUTECH’s transition into a conventional university, expanding its academic offerings from 32 to 58 accredited courses and departments.
This expansion has broadened the institution’s academic scope and created opportunities for more students, to pursue diverse fields of study and employment opportunities that was not available during the entire 8yrs of the previous administration.
LAUTECH’s progress is also reflected in its Webometrics rankings. The university improved from 3,146th globally in January 2022 to 2,298th in January 2026, moving from 10th to 9th among Nigerian universities during that period.
For an institution that previously experienced significant challenges, including an unstable academic calendar, this improvement provides another measure of LAUTECH progress.
Any honest assessment of LAUTECH’s challenges must also consider the period before Governor Makinde assumed office.
Under the APC-led administrations of Governor Abiola Ajimobi in Oyo State and Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State, LAUTECH experienced prolonged funding difficulties, salary arrears, industrial disputes and repeated disruptions to its academic calendar. In 2017, the university was shut for more than eight months amid a funding crisis.
The institution’s leadership during this period also included prominent figures from the APC. In August 2012, Bola Ahmed Tinubu was appointed Chancellor of LAUTECH. In July 2013, Governors Ajimobi and Aregbesola inaugurated the university’s Governing Council, chaired by Professor Wale Omole as Pro-Chancellor. Muhammadu Buhari also attended Tinubu’s investiture as Chancellor in April 2014, before becoming the APC presidential candidate later that year.
Sen. Sharafadeen Alli should take note that these historical facts are relevant when assessing the responsibilities of successive administrations for the institution’s past difficulties and the accumulated obligations that remain to be resolved.
The Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration will not dismiss the legitimate concerns of university staff or any personnel, and any outstanding entitlements must be addressed, and constructive dialogue remains essential to restoring industrial harmony and protecting students, patients and the wider public has been the hallmark of the Seyi Makinde’s administration.
However, it is equally important that the public conversation recognises the full record: the ownership transition, substantial repayments to Osun State, billions of naira in staff monthly salaries, arrears payments, academic expansion and improved international rankings.
The transformation of LAUTECH since 2019 is a significant part of Oyo State’s institutional development story under Engr. Seyi Makinde. A fair assessment must recognise both the progress achieved and the challenges that remains. Political arguments should not erase verifiable achievements, just as achievements should not be used to dismiss legitimate outstanding concerns.
Senator Sharafadeen Alli lacks the moral right to make a statement as regards the industrial crisis at LAUTECH. And, the reason for this is not far-fetched; Governor Seyi Makinde has shown significant commitment to staff and students’ welfare since he got sworn-in. So, Sen. Sharafadeen Alli should erase the thought that he can milk the current industrial action for political gains by trying to paint a negative picture of the present situation.
Oyo State people cannot afford to go back to Egypt!
