FLASH BACK-OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR AMOSUN

In one of my memos to His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun FCA, dated 30th December 2012 I wrote……Today, His Excellency has come to reality with the truth. The great lesson here is that even in opposition lies great facts needed to take governance to higher level and that in most times friend's counsels may be worst than criticism of perceived enemies . I wish you happy reading.

PROPOSSED MERGING OF TASUED WITH OOU

Your Excellency, permit me to point out without been immodest the fact that the proposed merger is one of the greatest error your Administration is about to commit. And as a Patrotic citizen of Ogun State who wish you well as the driver of the State wish to candidly advise Your Excellency to shelf the idea and think of alternative way to funding if truly funding is the real issue. I make bold to say that if you insist to have your way, this singular decision will cost your administration fortunes to which you will not be able to bear its effect when the time calls.

Your Excellency, Im sure you have been fed with too many lies concerning the situation on ground by the back seat drivers but I want you to take a lesson from the former President Alhaji Sheu Shagari hard lesson in power. In one of his recent remarks he said “Sycophants within the corridors of power have, to a large extent ,made it difficult for leaders to be aware of the problems facing their people and what to do to alleviate their suffering”.

Mama HID Awolowo, The Awujaale of Ijebuland and other notable Nigerians including the National President of Nigeria Union of Teachers cannot be wrong on this matter. Professors Soyode, Biyi Afonja, Yinusa Oyeneye and Kayode Oyesiku as notable practitioners in the Ivory tower management cannot be wrong, of course if others are wrong the value judgement of the National Universities Commission , the only body constitutionally empowered to regulate contents and quality delivery of Varsities cannot be wrong that TASUED is healthy and relevant to the educational needs of the State and the Nation.

Your Excellency, when you came on board you brought the idea of Model School; many people including my humble self applauded the concept as being intended within the goals and objectives of MDG. But here is a serious policy disconnect that a government who is establishing Model schools across the twenty local government arrears of the State and who will need the services of Model teachers is killing the two Teacher Training Institutions owned by it . Im sure your Excellency had not been fed with the right statistic of Ogun State Students prospecting admissions into Tertiary Institution yearly and if you are well fed im sure you have not married the effect and cost analysis of having to contend with cost of buying additional APC to manage increase in crime rates to the cost of funding the Institutions to produce Graduates needed for high level manpower development of the State.

Your Excellency no matter how much you spent on Urban renewal and provision of modern infrastructures, without investing in the future of the Children of the poor who cannot afford the luxuries of Redeemers, Convenant, Babcock, Igbinedion, Crawford, Bowen, Crescent Varsities are colossal waste and of no eternal value. Many people including your Excellency are till date eternally grateful to Awolowo not because he built Cocoa House, not because of the first Television Station, not because of Liberty Stadium nor because of the Industrial estates in Lagos and Ibadan etc but because of the Free Universal Education which had till date placed the South West at the front seat of National Development and Nation Building, His concept of the First Regional University, University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University was obviously to complement his Free Education programme because the Late sage must have had a deep thought that of what benefit is the free Education programme when majority of the school leavers will not have easy access to University Education . Obviously, this was done despite the fact that University of Ibadan was in the same region thus making it possible for the Region to have two Universities at that time. In the same manner we are asking your Excellency of what benefit is your Free Education programme and the building of Model schools if you want to deprive thousands of young leavers and the future generations the benefit of easy access to Higher Education in the State

CONCLUSION

On the issue of TASUED,I want to leave you with a reflection on the Sermon message that ushered you in as the Executive Governor of the State where you were told on the pulpit by the preacher that “ A I MOSE KO OMOROGUN LOMU KORI BO OMI GBONA” . The people of Ogun west represent the persecuted group today in the scheme of things in Ogun State, the same people who made it possible for Abeokuta to achieve the status of State Capital. I refer you to LIPEDE ; A dove of Unity. But we have consolation in the fact that one day , God will raise a Moses,Joshua and Aaron among us to deliver us from the evils that men do to us it will be sooner than you expect.

I wish your Excellency a successful tenure, sound health and the wisdom of the kings

Long Live Ogun State.

For Whom The Gates Open Wide By Prof. Wole Soyinka

5 years ago by admin 6 min read No comments

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