ANALYSIS: How Faculty of Agric LAUTECH injects N.68b monthly into Ogbomoso economy
Khalid ABRAHAM
A group of concerned students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, has released an analysis on the contribution of the faculty of agriculture to the Ogbomoso economy.
The concerned students who decided to remain anonymous told ogbomosoinsightonline.com that they were moved to undertake the study in view of the raging controversy over the planned relocation of the faculty to the newly established Iseyin campus of the institution.
Recall that many Ogbomoso people have been appealing to the state governor, Engr Seyi Makinde to instead of removing the faculty of agriculture start new faculties in the new campus. This has led to series of protests in the city.
According to the report made available by the concerned students, “moving the 33year-old faculty of agriculture rather than establishing a new faculty in Iseyin will have harmful economic implications based on certain q empirical analysis.”
In the report it is asserted, “The foundation faculty houses about 12,000 (twelve thousand) students which makes it the largest in the university and about 200 members of staff both teaching and non teaching.
“On an average a student spends about N1, 500 (one thousand five hundred naira) every day on feeding, clothing, transportation, patronizing local markets. And there are many that spend far more than the quoted daily expenses.”
Giving further details, the group notes, “The monthly financial implication to Ogbomoso economy therefore would be for students N580, 000, 000 (five hundred and eighty million naira). Broken down this is 12, 000 students times N1 500, which amounts to N18, 000 (eighteen thousand naira) daily.
“Multiply that figure by 30 days and you have the N580m quoted. If we put expenses by the staff at N100m (one hundred million naira) monthly, then, we will be talking of minimum of N680m on a monthly basis. This is huge and significant. Therefore, it is highly risky to be sacrificed for any reason.”
Emphasizing the relocation is against the interest of the city it stresses “the survival of small scale businesses across the five local government areas of Ogbomoso is highly reliant on the population of students of LAUTECH.
“The present economic status of Ogbomoso didn’t just come in a day but through combined efforts of all and sundry since the establishment of the university three decades ago. For instance, the number of foundation students of the faculty of agriculture was put at 33 while that of the university at large was 436. Today, faculty of agriculture alone boasts about 12,000 students which was achieved through government and community supports. It is thus illogical to move such faculty. The logical and most ideal thing is that a new faculty be established in Iseyin which will grow following natural growth order with all stakeholders (students, staff and community).”
The analysts opined that in time the new faculty will grow in leaps and bounds if all hands are on the deck. “With this, staff and students will take up fresh appointments and settle down to build their career in their respective chosen professions, if all hands are on the deck such new faculty will attain similar status the faculty of agriculture LAUTECH Ogbomoso has attained today.”
The report wondered if Iseyin as a community would sit idle if it faces similar challenge.
“Iseyin community would never wish that such a project nurtured for over 33years be relocated to Ogbomoso or Ibadan or somewhere else, the idea will be welcomed with war from Iseyin people no doubt.”
It underlined Ogbomoso indigenes have made a lot of commitment to the faculty in question in terms of infrastructure and donations “such as the Big Ghana House, Bee Hall, asphaltic road construction project, well equipped ICT lab, solar street lights, irrigation project, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria iutstation, tree planting nursery project, NALDA project and many others,” affirming it would be a minus and demoralizing severing such from the community just like that.
It further sought to know if the NYSC orientation camp in Iseyin is proposed to be relocated to Ogbomoso whether the people of Iseyin would not fight it.
“So, Faculty of Agriculture LAUTECH Ogbomoso is a big project to the ancient town which should not be traded out in any way, because no town or community can accept that, as Iseyin can never allow relocation of NYSC orientation camp, and Government Technical College. We know what’s happening in Oke-Ogun Polytechnic. Unemployed graduates are surviving through buying and selling of products that are of interest to students of LAUTECH, thus in a way they are making progress.”
An analogy is likewise presented to describe the situation. “LAUTECH Ogbomoso-Iseyin saga can be likened to an herdsman raising a calf for years, to adult stage, let’s say a full grown bull and someone now comes with offer of replacing the bull with an unborn calf … Do you think any armed force will be able to resolve the dispute that will emanate from such an offer?”
Expressing congratulations to Governor Seyi Makinde on the inauguration of Omititun 2.0, and praying for God’s wisdom and sound health to record greater achievements, it is noted, “Ogbomoso deserves more infrastructural projects from government and not the relocation of existing ones (ale kun ni ore). We appreciate His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde. The masses governor, ore mekunnu.”