Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has said that he has no objection to the existence of the Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH), as the bill sent to the House of Assembly was to seek for the return of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic assets to enable the school come back to live.
Prince Abiodun who made the clarification when members of Abeokuta Club visited him in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, said it was unfortunate that MAUSTECH, MAPOLY and the Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia, could not commence academic activities as a result of unresolved issues.
” Government intention is transparent on the issue of MAPOLY. We felt it was expedient and important for us to immediately do something so that out of the three institutions at least one will begin to function.
” MAPOLY itself and was never repealed either by accident or by design, but more importantly, all the assets of the school had been invested on MAUSTECH, which was not functioning.
The Governor said the bill sent to the House was to asked for the return of MAPOLY assets and not to repeal the University. Prince Abiodun said repealing MAUSTECH law would have amounted to pre- empting the Committee set up to look into the establishment of the institution, adding that it was never the thinking of government to do.
” It did not say anything about repealing MAUSTECH, there was no such conception, so when I began to get reactions that l have cancelled MAUSTECH, I began to wonder where it was coming from. I need to emphasize that I do not have any objection to MAUSTECH.
“When the Committee finishes with its assignment, we know how to take it from there.
He said it was imperative to reopen the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic as all stakeholders including business owners whose sources of income has been cut off for two years, were going through a lot of hardship.
The Governor who took time to intimate the Club members on his government policies and programmes, said he would focus on revamping the health, education, agricultural and infrastructural sectors, while attention would also be given to Security, employment and digitalisation of the state.
The Governor said his administration always plan ahead and take every section of the State into consideration before taking action, appealing to members of the Club not to hesitate in getting in touch with him whenever issues that needed clarification arise.
Also speaking, the Chairman of MAUSTECH, MAPOLY and OGUNPOLY Committee, Professor Segun Awonusi, who reeled out terms of reference of the Committee, said members have started interacting with relevant stakeholders with a view to meeting the submission date of its recommendations.
Speaking earlier, the past President and Trustee of the Club, Prof. Afolabi Soyode, expressed regret that MAPOLY has been in comatose in the last years, saying it has affected not only the students, parents, staff and other stakeholders, has affected the local economic.
He said the Club was happy for the setting up of the Committee, but was shocked when a bill was sent to the house to amend the law establishing the Institution.
He said the Club has ascertained that the purported repealing of the University was a rumour, expressing the hope that government would do the needful to get the University back on track.
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