The lawmaker representing Ibadan South West, state constituency 2 in the Oyo State House of Assembly and Chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon. Oluwafemi Oluwafowokanmi has said the development brought to Eruwa and Ibarapa land in general by the late business mogul, Chief Adeseun Ogundoyin worth more than renaming Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa after him.
Hon. Oluwafowokanmi made the disclosure whole addressing journalists at the house of assembly complex, on the passage of the bill to name Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa after the late industrialist and proposed July 15 reopening of the schools.
The Oyo State House of Assembly had passed the bill, Ibarapa Polytechnic (Amendment) Bill, 2020 into law to rename the institution after the late businessman, who is the father of the present Speaker of the state’s assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin.
The lawmaker disclosed that the committee found it worthy to change the name of the institution to Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa after necessary considerations have been done at the committee level.
He maintained that efforts of late Chief Ogundoyin to bring the institution down to Ibarapa land can not be overlooked.
He said, “The bill was sent to house committee on education, for us to assess, and after thorough assessment, we reached the conclusion that the late politician and industrialist fought a good fight to bring a satellite campus of The Polytechnic, Ibadan to Eruwa. He sponsored the institution with his personal money and apart from that, both in the political and business wise, the man gave life to the place called Eruwa and the entire Ibarapa land.”
Oluwafowokanmi added that the commitment and desire of late Chief Ogundoyin towards development of the people and Ibarapa land cannot be over emphasized.
He disclosed that the love and his labour for development of the zone endeared him to the people irrespective of religion and political background, stressing that the committee believed that it is of great value to change the name to Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic.
His words, “we saw that it is of value that the name of the institution be renamed after the late businessman. The institution was once called Adeseun Ogundoyin campus of The Polytechnic Ibadan, before it was given autonomy to become a full fledged institution by the past administration, which renamed it as Ibarapa Polytechnic. It was that decision that we reversed now so that efforts and contributions of the late Chief Adeseun Ogundoyin will not be in vein.”
On the proposed July 15 for the reopening of the school, Hon. Fowokanmi commended the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde for his approach towards curtailment of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic particularly in the schools.
The lawmaker expressed that the governor has performed his duty to protect the lives of the young ones against the spread of the disease by closing schools at the appropriate time. He said that it would have been very difficult to prevent the spread while school is on.
He noted that the proposed July 15 by government is to enable the ongoing academic calendar be completed and to start the new one without wasting time.
“The governor has a good intention by pronouncing July 15 as the date for the reopening of the schools. What we need to do is to support him to achieve this timeline for the benefit of our children. By that time, we believe activities would have come to normal and students would be able to cover up what they have missed for the past two months or thereabout,” Oluwafowokanmi concluded.
