By Banji Ayoola
Ondo State House of Assembly has passed into law a bill renaming the Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, OSUSTECH, after its founder and a former governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Agagu.
The institution has now become Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, OAUSTECH, Okitipupa, following the amendment of the Ondo State University of Science and Technology law 2008 to Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology.
A plenary sitting of the House on October 3, 2019, had mandated its committee on tertiary institutions to scrutinise the bill seeking amendment of the law.
Eventually the committee submitted its report to a plenary of the house presided over by the Speaker, Mr Bamidele Oleyelogun, where its chairman, Mr Felemugudu Bankole, told the House that the bill had been properly scrutinised after series of meetings, and consultation with the people of the host community.
He confirmed that all stakeholders supported the idea of changing the name of the institution, adding that OAUSTECH is the acronym that people supported.
Reading the recommendation of the committee, the Chairman noted that all ammendments contained in the bill were adopted by the committee after critical analysis and consideration.
The committee had recommended that the law be cited as the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa (OAUSTECH) law, 2019.
Majority Leader of the house, Jamiu Maito therefore moved a motion that the bill be passed into law, and this was seconded by a lawmaker representing Ondo West state constituency 1,Tomide Akinribido.
After unanimous decision of the house that the bill be passed into law, the Speaker of the house, Oleyelogun commended the committees for a job well done and ruled that the amended bills become laws.
Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Sunday Roberts Ogunduyile, in an earlier interview with The Radiance, said that the new OAUTECH would drive Nigeria’s economy.
According to him, the name-change would impact positively on the ongoing moves to transform Ondo State into the hub of Marine Technology in the country.
This, he said, would thereby turn the institution to a foremost intellectual and technological power house driving Nigeria’s economy.
This, he added, is an elixir for the institution in its striving to become a first class university of global reckoning, raising a corpus of competent graduates who can respond appropriately to the technological needs of our dear Country.
Reacting to the name change, Ogunduyile said: “Our reaction is positive. In fact we are very happy to receive that information. I as the Vice Chancellor am particularly happier than any other person because it would lead to quite a number of positive things to come.
One, the image of the university is going to be enhanced. It is going to be thrown open to both local and international levels. Branding it Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology is the best thing that could happen this time.”
Ogunduyile told The Radiance: “The state government must have consulted very widely; and even without consultation, the activities of the founders of this university are well known all over; and I am sure people would react positively to it. So we are very happy. The university community is happy. We’ve held meetings to even make it known to Mr. Governor that it is a very good gesture for us.”
The Vice Chancellor said that rebranding the university “is going to expose us to both international and local organisations to see that we are meeting up with this new name.”
The late Dr Kokumo Olusegun Agagu was an illustrious son of Iju Odo in Okitipupa Local Government area of the state, in Ondo South Senatorial District, who died at 65 on September 13, 2013.
Agagu is fondly remembered in Nigeria as a consummate politician; a first class geologist and lecturer who, for years imparted knowledge to many people across the world; a meticulous brilliant planner and administrator; a great son and icon who truly loved Ondo state; a national hero; a man who never held grudges, whose death was described as a great loss to the state and the country.
On the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the late Agagu governed Ondo State between May 29, 2003 and February 2009, when a court voided his re-election on account of electoral irregularities.
He was replaced by Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, his administration’s former Secretary to the State Government and arch political rival based on a court injunction.
A close associate of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Agagu served as the first Aviation minister of the Obasanjo administration in 1999, before he came home to contest governorship election.
Obasanjo had on June 29, 2006 commended him for the work he had done leading Ondo State, saying “You have taken time to plan. We have also seen that the execution of the plan is now showing results.”(
