LAUTECH: Ogbomoso community appeals Makinde over faculty relocation to Iseyin
PanNigerianNews
3 min read
An appeal has gone to the Oyo state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to rescind the decision to move the faculty of agriculture, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, to the fledgling Iseyin campus of the institution.
This appeal was made during a press conference on Wednesday organized by Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye in conjunctions with a group which dubbed itself “Concerned Ex-Students of LAUTECH,” held at Ogunlola Hall, Oja’gbo, Ogbomoso.
Signed by chairman of Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye (Home Zone), Prince Aderemi Olude and Comrade James Obasa, who represented the ex-students, the release states the appeal became imperative in view of the rapidity accompanying the execution of the plan though noting that no official letter had been issued to the effect. “But when students in the institution and commercial motorcyclists protested about two weeks ago on the issue and based on news emanating from irrefutable sources we feel we should weigh in.”
The release notes the plan if implemented had more disadvantages than advantages consequently identifying reasons while it is undesirable which among others are the fact that the faculty being a foundation faculty boasts the largest student population, which makes it the “soul of the university both in financial generation due to large student population, source of highly experienced lecturers and technocrats that had been actively involved in the attainment of the global and national recognition of the university. Relocation of such a faculty will not be in the best interest of the university;” the fact that most of the lecturers are of professional cadre with over 30 years of service in the faculty implying they are advancing in age and so will find it cumbersome relocating to Iseyin; or that shuttling between Ogbomoso and Iseyin on daily basis will be further drain in terms of energy and finances to them or having to look for makeshift accommodation, just as it points out, “many lecturers having stayed for so long have personally funded research projects that are immovable e.g. the piggery, rabbitry, poultry, fish tanks etc which had come handy during accreditation exercises thus bailing the university and enabling achievement of full accreditation. It beats one’s imagination therefore, as to what becomes of such projects that are daily maintained.”
The groups also identified inadequate lecture and office space at Iseyin campus; and immovability of several facilities for researches already on ground at the main campus such as the bee hall, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN)’s outstation recently donated to the institution, the weather station donated by the IITA, Ghana Hall, postgraduate hall, the fully equipped computer and biometric unit for the department of agricultural economics, large hectares of land prepared for arable crop production, cash crops plantations (which are sources of IGR), LAUTECH Turmeric Centre and so on, which it is noted, would make these become moribund while others would be terminated should the faculty be relocated.
Therefore, it is suggested that a new faculty (or faculties) rather be established in Iseyin “to fulfill the governor’s campaign promise to the people of the area,” positing this will come with benefits such as the new faculty growing at government’s pace in terms of students admission and staff recruitment, achieving less cumbersome accommodation settlement, reduced wage bill in view of recruitment of fresh staff, conditioning of staff and students from inception to life in Iseyin and so on.
Asked if the faculty of agriculture is to be moved or faculty of renewable natural resources that’s newly founded as being insinuated in some quarters, Comrade Obasa, stated impeccable sources revealed that the “two faculties are to be moved in their entirety.”
Similarly, Prince Olude, accompanied by some other exco members of the home zone, emphasized they were not fighting the government but “to make passionate appeal to reconsider the decision” just as he maintained, “We are not at loggerheads with Iseyin, we are not against development in any other zone, but why terminate the life of a thirty-three year old child in place of a new one!”
