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How it started

But for the concerted intervention of notable indigi- nes of Ogbomoso town in Oyo State, the decision by the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration, to relocate the faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), to Iseyin, in Oke-Ogun zone of the state, in a planned multi-campus arrangement would have resulted have ended catastrophically.

The state government had proposed the decentralization of the state owned university. According to plans by the state, the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences is to be moved to Iseyin, to kickstart a satellite campus. This means that students of the faculty will have to relocate to Iseyin, while intakes would no longer resume in Ogbomoso. An undesirable consequence of this is the feared drastic shrinking in student population, which they said is the lifeline of the ancient town. For over 30 years, the siting of Lautech in Ogbomoso town has brought about enhancement in the lives of dwellers.

Population impact

The academic population of Lautech has boosted lives in the peaceful ancient town. But the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, which the state plans to relocate in the bid to decentralize Lautech and change its status from that of a Technological University into conventional one; where other causes like Arts, Law and other humanities would be thought, is considered the largest and a major sustaining pillar in the anatomy of the student population. The coalition of agitators groups being coordinated by one of the socio-cultural groups in the town, Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye; consequently, in unison kicked against the plans.

They are coordinating the agitations in concert with Ogbomoso Community Youth Forum (OCYF) They faulted the move by the government, saying it will amount to waste of resources for the government to abandon structural investments made towards the conducive teaching and learning of agricultural related sciences in the Ogbomoso campus, as the faculty is being taken away.

Residents concern

Observably too, comments by some indigines who are members of the opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC), suggests that the state government is having its ways on the university decentralization be- cause representatives of the town in the PDP-led government in the state were failing in the loyalty to the town. One of them who declined to have his name in print, accused PDP stalwarts from the town of disloyalty to their native town. Some of them concluded proverbially that they are now missing the dead because the living are failing them. Opinning, in regret, that the late governor of the state, Dr. Alao Akala would have spoken out against any policy that could be inimical to the well being of the people, as exemplified by the planned unbundling of the school.

Others contacted by New Telegraph correspondent on the matter, who claimed to be apolitical, said that the move lacks sincerity. They posited that the state government should rather start a new faculty at the newly opened Lautech, Iseyin campus, and allow it grow in line with available facilities, other than disrupting lives and livelihoods on Ogbomoso insigines whose economic sustenance has been tied to Lautech for decades. However, the duo of Aderemi Olude and Olaleye Peter, presidents of Ogbomoso Parapo Worldwide and OCYF respectively, who are kicking against the development have always made it known that they are neither against the Oyo State government, Iseyin town- ship, nor the decentralization of the University.

Makinde commended Also, Muritala Adekunle, President Ogbomoso Parapo youth wing, who showered accolades on the state governor for his achievements in assuming office, said the planned movement of the most populated faculty in Lautech away from Ogbomoso is unacceptable. However, as it became clearer, day-by-day that the state government was hell bent on carrying out the unbundling on the state owned Lautech, agitated natives planned a protest match, which they say was to register their displeasure at the governments decision. They proclaimed that a protest had become imperative because some forces in the state, who were also natives of Ognomoso were hindering access to the Governor and tender their grievances. Consequently, in what was likened a replica of what obtains in some crisis-ridden parts of the country, where security and orderliness has broken down totally, the planners of the match were said to have ordered a sit at home on Monday 22, 2023.

As scheduled, indigines of the town in their hundreds gathered at different locations in the town on Monday morning to kickstart what those who were on ground concluded may have degenerated into violent engagement. However, some elders in the town, after getting a wink of what was planned and possible implications associated with such protests and rallies, rose to the occasion and engaged the youths in a dialogue, thereby saving the people of chaos and crisis. A former Secretary to Oyo State Government during the regime of late Dr. Adebayo Alao Akala (2007 -2011) on Tuesday revealed to New Telegraph, how effort from well- meaning indigines averted what could have resulted in a breakdown of and orderliness in the ancient city.

Why protest

Speaking with New Telegraph in an exclusive telephone chat, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, who confirmed the magnitude of the planned protest, said, himself and others were able to make some leaders of the protest- ing movement see reasons why they have to embrace the campus decentralization policy, in consideration of the gestures of the Seyi Makinde-led government in the handling of the matter It was meant to be a massive protest, the type that doesnt end well, but thank God, we were able to prevail over them after giving them reasons why they should not toll such a path. While disclosing that the plan to unbundle Lautech has been on the table for over 3 years, Dr. Balogun revealed he was privy to a meeting where the matter was discussed with the late monarch of the town, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade 111 in presence, after which it became glaring that the state was not ready to back down on the decision. He however added that some of the agreement reached with the governments unbundling plan also comes with the decisions to transform the Institute of higher learning from a technological one into a conventional university. Adding that those fighting the issue are either misinformed or uninformed.

Excerpt from:

LAUTECH: How Makindes Policy Almost Disrupted Peace In Host Community - New Telegraph Newspaper