Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde has signed into law the bill renaming state-owned First Technical University after Senator Abiola Ajimobi, his immediate predecessor.
While signing the bill entitled “Bill for the Establishment, Incorporation, Constitutions and Functions of Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, Ibadan and Other Related Matters” into law, Makinde reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the education sector, noting that the government had been investing in the required human and materials resources needed in the industry.
The governor said the executive council approved the Executive Bill repealing the First Technical University Law, 2012, to be replaced by a law that would capture the structural changes the university will undergo, including a change of name.
He said: “You may recall last year that during the institution’s convocation, I made an announcement for the change of name to honour my predecessor, under whose administration the university was established.
“This new law will codify the name change because this administration does not govern by fiat. We ensure that the right governance processes are followed. The new law also means that the University can appoint a Governing Council to govern its affairs.”
The governor informed the gathering that a governing council would soon be constituted for the university, adding that he had approved the university’s request for N1.4bn to upgrade the infrastructure.
Dwelling on his achievements in the education sector, the governor noted that his administration had spent between N10 billion and N15 billion to bring education infrastructure up to speed, adding that it is also renovating 105 primary school buildings through a World Bank grant and 100 secondary schools under the state’s 10 billion yearly intervention for education.
For tertiary institutions, Makinde is equally assured of continuous provision of subventions and the execution of capital projects.
He assured state residents that his government would continue to do things in the interest of and for the benefit of the populace, saying, “Let me use this opportunity to restate our administration’s commitment to the education sector. We are not just paying lip service when we say that education is one of the four pillars of this administration.