LAUTECH, do Chief S. L. Akintola’s memory some good, remove this eyesore in his residence
Femi OGUNLANA
The Ogbomoso residence of the late Premier of Western Region Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola GCON, has continued to remain an eyesore. The premises is overgrown with bushes; the front is turned into a refuse dump. It is hard to believe the earthly abode of such mammoth figure will be defaced in such despicable manner.
ogbomosoinsightonline.com did a story on it in September 2022, on the same issue following which the Akintola family donated the whole estate to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), after whom the school is named. Meanwhile, some people including this writer were of the view the building should have been turned into a museum, an archival centre, in his memory.
Advertisement
However, the donation of the building to the institution is not out of line, the family must have had its reason. What is appalling however is for the negligence, lack of maintenance the manor still suffers. It is an ugly sight when ogbomosoinsightonline.com seeing heaps of dumps in the frontage and weeds that taking over the whole premises.
This is a house that used to bubble with people and activities when the first son of the late Premier was around, Chief Abayomi Akintola, the Basorun of Ogbomosoland. A politician, a former member of the House of Representatives, Federal Minister and ex-Nigerian Ambassador to Hungary, Lagos based, his regular visits to Ogbomoso usually ignited hustling and bustling in the estate especially towards election periods and during the then annual remembrance activities of his late father. But now at over 80 years he is indisposed and is confined to Lagos. That is the “tragedy” the estate faces today.
One had thought that with the gifting to LAUTECH, a positive change will be enacted but since April 29 when the donation was announced, the compound remains an eyesore. The only thing that has been done is erection of a signpost bearing the name, “Ladoke Akintola University of Technology).”
Let do this man’s memory some good by, in the interim, give the mansion a face lift at least by clearing the bushes and evacuating the refuse.
Ogbomoso will in the coming days witness a large turnout of guests who will be coming to attend the coronation activities of Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III in December, the legendary Akintola House will be a sight to look out for, being on the routes of the venues of the events. It will be detestable to leave such monument in such despicable condition. Let something be done.
The condition of the premises is both pathetic and deplorable. I want to implore the Ogbomoso North Local Government, whose jurisdiction the estate falls,to come to the rescue. The council in line of it’s public service should mobilize it’s Works Deepartment to do the necessary clean-up of the estate for the sake of Ogbomoso and Ogbomoso people.