By Ismael Taiwo T-COOL
According to Johann Goethe, “Nothing is more terrible than to see ignorance in action”.
The above is a summary of the recent action of the indigenous students of Ogbomosho who out of ignorance planned to take to the streets to forestall the resumption of academic activities in LAUTECH Iseyin Campus. What should perturb sensible minds is that knowledge fused with ignorance have now become a tool of grandstanding in the pursuit of self-delusion.
The purported planned protest as called for by the Federation of Ogbomoso Students’ Union FOGSU could be likened to dance of shame and display of rascality. The basis of the protest according to the student body is that the resumption of academic activities in LAUTECH Iseyin Satelite Campus be suspended because its commencement will hinder economic progress of Ogbomosho. As watery this assertion could be, one will wonder what the students of nowadays learn in their various institutions of learning if such could be a position of an indigenous student body whose objective should transcend beyond parochial view.
To set the record straight, LAUTECH is our collective patrimony and it is being funded with the tax-payers’ money. All Oyo State indigenes have equal stake in the institution and as such nobody should lay claim to the ownership as if it is a family heritage bequeathed to Ogbomosho people.
It is so shameful that the shenanigans are bereft of ideas of how government policies work. If not, they wouldn’t have subjected themselves to public ridicule. To the discerning minds and for the sake of clarity, LAUTECH Establishment Act became law having passed through first, second and third reading at the State Assembly before the final assent by Governor of Oyo State.
The so-called students leaders were not oblivious of the fact that LAUTECH was being run by Oyo State and Osun State in the past before it became independent university in Oyo State. They should be informed that in the time past LAUTECH was in a state of comatose and couldn’t function for several months due to administrative problem between the two states and inability of the past administration in Oyo State to settle some financial obligations.
Those who suddenly gain their voices now were nowhere to be found when all Oyo State indigenes rose in unison to support Governor Makinde to get the full ownership of the institution with the payment of over N2billion winding-up cost from the tax payers money.
Now, that the normalcy has returned, the school is running smooth academic calendar and it has been approved to commence as full fledged university where some Faculties like Law, Education and others would be established, parochial view of some self-centered student leaders has now resurfaced forgetting the sweat of all Oyo State indigenes to restore the lost glory of the ivory tower.
In as much as I believe that everybody has equal right to protest as enshrined under the Fundamental Human Rights of Nigerian Constitution 1999 as Amended. However, we should be wary of certain act capable of destabilizing the peace currently enjoyed in Oyo State due to ignorance of some set of people.
I don’t know if the charlatans understand that LAUTECH Multicampus system has already become a Law and nobody no matter how highly placed can rescind such decision let alone protest by some few disgruntled element aiming at reversing the popular decision made by the State Government.
I do not want to preempt that these people are being sponsored to destabilize the peace and harmony of Oyo State by pitching Ogbomosho against Iseyin.
Oke-Ogun and Ogbomosho have enjoyed peaceful coexistence for a long period of time and no amount of clandestine mission of the few confused self-styled student leaders can bring the long existing relationship to an end.
I therefore implore the people of Oke-Ogun to remain calm and not to be tempted to reacting to provocation by these set of people whose mission albinitio is to cause disharmony in the State.
To the people of Oke-Ogun, let’s remain calm. This too shall pass.
Com. Ismael Taiwo T-COOL
Writes from Ado-Awaye
