OGUN STATE GOVERNMENT TAKES ON ABEOKUTA CLUB, SAYS THERE IS NO ETHNIC AGENDA IN THE COMMITTEE SET-UP BY GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW HIGHER INSTITUTIONS CREATED BY THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.

Dapo Abiodun.

The Government of Ogun State has raised eye-brows over statements credited to the President of Abeokuta Club, Engr. Tokunbo Odebunmi, on the committee set up by government to look into the operational modalities of Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology, Abeokuta and Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia, which were established by the immediate past administration.

According the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, the statement credited to Engr. Odebunmi impugned on the decision of the government to resolve the impasse at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) and bring temporary respite to the already traumatized thousands of students receiving tuition there.

These students, Miss Sarafa-Yusuf says, our children studying at MAPOLY, the future of our society, were made the victims of the industrial dispute that arose over the identity crisis the new status engendered for that institution and no responsible government will allow its future generation be toyed with in that manner and that informed our decision to allow academic activities to resume at the institution pending the submission of the report of the committee set up on the issue.

However, the current Government in Ogun State and the Governor, Dapo Abiodun was alarmed over the statement by Abiokuta Club is the tribal colouration given to government's decision, with the allegation that the government is executing a hidden agenda in favour of any group or people in the state is grossly unfair.   

The government clarifies the following on the action taken so far on Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH) and Ogun State Polytechnic Ipokia and states that the Dapo Abiodun’s administration inherited a protracted crisis at the MAPOLY over its status that had been changed to MAUSTECH by the last administration. Even MAUSTECH which was so established has nothing on ground over a year after its creation. There were no facilities to accommodate its upgrade to a degree-awarding institution.

The last administration neither appointed a Governing Council to oversee its effective take-off nor put in place requisite academic and non-academic structures to run or administer the institution. There is also no record that efforts were made to source for students for the institution. In truth, MAUSTECH, from what we inherited from the last administration, only exists in name.

But all this while, academic activities had stalled at MAPOLY. The staff and students were in limbo as the law establishing it had been reviewed to pave the way for the emergence of MAUSTECH, Therefore, for the recent directive of the government that academic activities be returned to MAPOLY to be effective, the law establishing it has to be re-enforced.

While we understand and appreciate the clamour by groups and regions in our dear state for even representation of government projects, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf says that the decision taken so far by government is also to respect that clamour and ensure that the resources of the state are evenly distributed and judiciously appropriated and the people must understand that the committee was set up, in view of what was inherited on the status of the two institutions, to ascertain the current operational status of the institutions; identify issues and challenges related to the establishment and operations of the two institutions; determine the viability and sustainability of the institutions on a long-term basis; and identify any other issue(s) related to the objectives of the assignment; and make recommendations for the consideration of the government.

These, we believe, are clear enough assignments given to that committee devoid of tribal bias or ethnic ambush from government as being suggested by the Abeokuta Club and as headed by Professor Segun Awonusi, is still sitting and is yet to conclude on its assignment. Therefore, we see no reason for anyone to be pre-emptive of the committee's report or resort to issuing statement that could cause in-amity in the state.