Relocation of Faculty of Agric LAUTECH: Be sensitive to your citizens, Makinde told
Khalid ABRAHAM
Professor Timothy Olagbemiro has added his voice to the growing opposition to the vexatious issue of relocation of Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, Oyo state, to the Iseyin satellite campus being proposed for the institution.
Prof Olagbemiro, who probably is the longest serving Vice Chancellor in Nigeria having served two terms each, at Bowen University, Iwo, Osun state and Edwin Clark University, Kaigbodo, Delta state, offered this advice during a press interview Saturday, at the Ogbomoso Education Summit aimed at galvanizing support for the proposed Ogbomoso University held at Recreation Club, Isale-General.
Asked to comment on the planned relocation of the largest and one of the oldest faculties in LAUTECH, Olagbemiro who was hesitant as he showed unwillingness to weigh in however said when prodded that the plan was not ideal consequently urging government to be sensitive to the feeling of the people.
He opined that rather than splitting LAUTECH an entirely new university should be founded in Oke-Ogun, wondering why students who were admitted to study in Ogbomoso would be moved suddenly to Iseyin.
He began, “It’s not ideal. If you need a university create a new one, you have the money, resources to do it, create a new one. Why will the students have to be bundled to a place where they never chose to come; they came to LAUTECH in Ogbomoso, now you want to take them there because they are in that faculty. How do you take them to another enclave?”
Reacting to the suggestion that the school doesn’t belong to Ogbomoso but to Oyo state government and so the government can do as it likes, Olagbemiro, who is chairman of Ogbomoso Academics, one of the groups promoting Ogbomoso University, stressed, “The government should be sensitive to the people. These are your citizens. Don’t say because you have the power in your hand you can move the school there or do whatever you like, no, no, no. Give them a choice, do you love to go to that place? Be guided by what the majority says.”
On what can be described as “conspiracy of silence” by leaders of Ogbomoso on the issue, he denounced the attitude however noting some of them are politicians who are only protecting their interest, “They are politicians, they will not say the truth. That is the problem of Nigeria. People should forget what will happen and speak the truth. Be honest.
“This is not fair, a student coming here to Ogbomoso for his university education, you now ask him to go to another place, how is that fair?”
ogbomosoinsightonline.com recalls that the Oyo state government led by Engr. Seyi Makinde after succeeding in disengaging Osun state government from the ownership structure of the university and turning it into a conventional university has indicated plan to relocate the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences to the Iseyin campus of the institution it is pioneering.
However, the plan has met with resistance from Ogbomoso indigenes worried it would adversely affect the economy of the city just as lecturers and students of the faculty have expressed disapproval with students even embarking on street protest two weeks ago.
