It is no longer a news that joint ownership imbroglio of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomosho between Osun and Oyo State governments has been laid to rest courtesy of National University Commission (NUC) intervention.
However, the trending news is the discussion on the multi-campus status of the University as recently passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly. There are pro and anti-multi-campus proponents. Regardless of the right of expression of all, it is necessary to discuss the issue from patriotic perspective.
First, multi-campus LAUTECH has the opportunity of having campuses in different towns in Oyo State. Of what benefit that would be is an issue of concern-Yes correct but can we read further?
Assuming all students are on a campus when an epidemic occurs, would that community have negative or positive experience to share? May God forbid bad thing but sure there could not be positive news from such scenario. Therefore, having students of the University in different towns would save the lives of LAUTECH students from epidemic which we pray will never occur.
Moreover, the fact is that when students are too concentrated in an area, there would be too much pressure on the social amenities such as power supply leading to incessant breakdown of transformers, etc and destruction of public tap water gadgets among others. However, where the students are in manageable population, such facilities are fairly managed.
Also, there is no way a town would have higher institutions of learning without commensurate social infrastructure development. That indirectly facilitates rapid development especially as good roads, hospitals, media offices, banks, etc extend their presence to those places. With that, additional employment is provided to those that would work in those offices in addition to discouraging rural-urban drift which thus bring about even development. Also, more houses would be built especially as hostels for students leading to rapid development of such town and yield of returns of estate managers.
Having multi-campus LAUTECH is also an opportunity of cross-fertilization of culture and orientations with local community by students who would come from different places around the world. That indirectly creates opportunity for peaceful co-existence by creating opportunity to learn about different values which are usually different and higher in value than what most youngsters are aware of.
It is also an established fact that where students over-populate an area, essentials are usually expensive for most students to afford. But when students are dispersed into different campuses in different towns, there would be less pressure on the students and so their standard of living will not be unbearable as would have been where they are too much than available resources.
When a university has many campuses, it is an opportunity for the lecturers and students to travel to different areas and be exposed to different lifestyle, training and knowledge. Thus broadening their horizons as travel is a critical part of learning.
Besides, establishment of campuses in towns would automatically boost the local economy of those places where the campuses are situated. Similarly, the main campus would be saved from having to be contending with regular collapse of facilities which is peculiar with universities with too much population than available resources.
Unbridled students who often disrupt social peace can be controlled when they are separated from their colleagues with whom they usually foment troubles. With lack of concentration of such troublemakers in a campus, the society would enjoy relative peace than having them concentrated in a place.
Besides, having multi-campus LAUTECH would also make all parts of Oyo State have sense of belonging since the revenue is for development of all parts of the State in addition to ensuring all zones in the state have fair presence of tertiary institutions of learning. With the aforementioned points, patriots are those who actually support the MULTI CAMPUS LAUTECH.
Luqman Soliu can be reached via solumsec@gmail.com
