Governor Abiola Ajimobi has denied ownership of The First Technical University, Ibadan, otherwise known as Tech-U, Ibadan, saying the institution belongs to the Oyo state government.

The governor made the clarification while receiving traditional rulers led by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who paid him a courtesy visit on Monday.

Among the royal fathers on the entourage, drawn from the six zones of the state, were Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola; Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdul-Ganiyu Salawudeen; Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Olusola; and Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin.

Ajimobi said,

“Let me use this opportunity to dispel the rumour going around that I am the owner of The First Technical University, Ibadan. People are expected to talk, especially when they lack proper information, but if we fail to dispel the rumour, it may stick and become the truth.

“I want to say without any equivocation that I do not own The First Technical University, Ibadan. It belongs to the Oyo State Government wholly. It is easy for people to come up with such a rumour because of the successful establishment of the university.

“It is the first of its kind in Nigeria, and we are happy that we succeeded in achieving this in our time. Nobody believed we could achieve it, especially during a period the country was grappling with economic challenges.

“Oyo State has no financial input into the establishment of the university till date. All what you see there were done by lovers of the state, indigenes living abroad, international institutions and the CBN.”

He urged other individuals and corporate bodies to also support the university through the construction of hostels, halls, classrooms, a theatre and a sports complex.

Oba Adeyemi said there was no institution that could correctly appraise the achievements of any administration in any state than traditional rulers.

He said,

“I believe very much that if there is any agency that can make a correct appraisal of any government’s performance in any state, no agency is better placed than the traditional rulers in such a state.

“The reason is not far-fetched. Among the traditional rulers, there are those who have experienced some administrations, which qualifies them to make fair assessment of all.

“In my own case, and with gratitude to God for my longevity and the good people of Oyo for their support and cooperation at all times, I have experienced many administrations, both military and civilian.

“Let me start from a noncontroversial statement of fact as far as Governor Ajimobi is concerned. It is that till date, he is the longest-serving governor to occupy the Agodi Government House since the Western Region days. There can be no better empirical testimony of his acceptability by the people of the state than that.”