May I start on this note of euphoria by wishing you happy 60th Birthday anniversary on Earth. Many wondered why I have refused to join you in the ring in a battle over your elegant birthday commemoration spanning a week which climaxed with the House of Assembly conferring on you the award of lifetime Honourable Member of Parliament by the Speaker, Rt. Honourable Najeem Folasayo Salaam on behalf of his other 25 Colleagues.
I could not have poke nosed or created such fouling offensive because I recognized that it is your prerogative or that of your loyal Friends to worship or celebrate you in the best ways they consider appropriate and deserving. In other words, it is a personal choice that you are entitled to, more so, when you have stated unverifiably that Osun State does not commit a single Kobo on your birthday. Rather, it was opinionated that your Friends sponsored the week-long lavish birthday bash.
I am equally averse that my Party, the Opposition is represented in the House. So much that we have representation amongst the Principal Officers of the Assembly. Suffice to say that there was no reported contrary voice to the State Birthday celebration. I can not therefore ignore that fact and raise any dust when it was the consensus of both ruling party and opposition party Members in the House. I hereby close my short narration on your birthday in order to save space and so that I may not become derailed.
On Lautech unfortunate imbroglio, I am personally disappointed that your Excellency has not been able to put a final paid to the problem of joint ownership engulfing that University, 7 years into your administration or tenure. I recall with nostalgia how you rained verbal chastity and uncouth oral insults on the Duo of Governor ADEBAYO ALAO AKALA of Oyo State Government of the time under reference and PRINCE OLAGUNSOYE OYINLOLA of Osun State.
Your Excellency, As an optimistic Seeker and Pursuer of Governorship office back in the days, You made the world via Press to assume or went on to unfairly believe that Oyinlola and his former Police Boss Brother in Oyo State were incapable.
7 years down the line, Lautech has become more endangered and it’s workforce and students populace can only wish that they are returned to the Oyinlola’s era.
I watched astonishingly few days ago on television when your Deputy Governor, Mama Mrs-Otunba Titilayo Laoye Tomori praised your days as a Comrade at the Polytechnic, Ibadan to high heavens. Her statement verbatim was that you were into active activism which saved Nigeria’s democracy. She was “carriedly” passionate as I watched her!
Unfortunately, Mr Governor, your present conduct did not support such past ranks. It is an irony that a Comrade whom you are has never for a day found it compelling and important to address Protesters especially Students. You instead either prevent lawful protest, or stampede harmless Protesters, or at best avoid them. If I must be sincere to you, Excellency, Dear Honourable Aregbesola, Your credentials being a Comrade has been badly eroded with such frustrating behavioural tendencies. This is despite that you were SRC Speaker at the Polytechnic, Ibadan.
As a Comrade myself who had to champion the course of Nigerian Students as SUG Caretaker President or Head, I am sad! I am unhappy because I fear that people you trust to oversee tertiary education on your behalf are knowingly or unknowingly working against the State and your humble self. That the Comrades are on the streets locking down OSOGBO everyday as a result of protests suggest they have lost access or any close contact with you. I doubt if they had any. It is high time you rescued yourself from Sycophants who will leave you to your fate alone in likely regret in case you do not change, after your tenure. Before the chips are down Sir!
These Boys or young Men are not older than people you can father. So you are enjoined to stop running away from them. They are not Enemies. Rather, they are people who are seeking for their rights to unhindered education. They voted for you!
Their scholarship and bursary has been stopped. Grants to their schools are no longer there and salary arrears of their Lecturers are extra accumulated. This is beside failing and dilapidated infrastructures on all the State owned campuses. The future is gloomy!
Many Students who are admitted to study for 5 years or less are in their 8th year in university for no fault of theirs. And as this horror continues, in your capacity as Visitor to the University, you went on to jointly appoint Chancellor and Members of Governing Council that has not justified their appointments.
Your Excellency, time and tide wait for nobody Sir. Call out the real Man and the comrade in you by urgently reversing the negative trends and addressing the plights of our younger Colleagues.
Most recently, I heard that out of aggressive frustration, the LAUTECH Students printed obituary posters of their yet to die Vice Chancellor, Professor Gbadegesin. Please, Ogbeni Honourable Rauf Aregbesola, do not wait until this will be repeated to you. May you not die untimely Sir.
Few days ago, Students of UniOsun were massacred by Air Force Officers. The Males suffered cuts and bruises while their female counterparts are subdued to becoming rape victims. Unfortunately, till now Government is not losing sleep and nothing was heard. Let all the Government cabals put themselves in the shoes of the Parents of these Victims, who will love his or her Daughter raped or Son violated?
Before it is too late, already it is late, I appeal that something needs to be done. If Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is the unusual Governor that he calls himself, now is the time to jetision all the incompetent Advisers and act as a Father.
I expect that in the spirit of your 60th Birthday anniversary, you will cause to happen, an urgent meeting within the next 48 hours, to be presided by you, and in the presence of the Vice Chancellor of Lautech too, which shall have the protesting students and their Leaders in attendance. This matter must be resolved once and forever. If you have to borrow to put Lautech where I graduated over 7 years ago on track, whatever you need to do to nip the problem on its bud, Heaven will support it. This is the only way you can appreciate God for your grace for clocking 60 years on Earth today.
Long live Ladoke Akintola University of Technology!
Long live Osun State!!
Long live Oyo State!!!
Thank you for your open audience and anticipated action Sir…
Leave a Reply