Opinion written and Composed By Lai Olurode,Dept. of Sociology University of Lagos
Dear Sir, I wish to commend and congratulate the Federal Government of Nigeria for its recent decision to establish six Federal Colleges of Education in six states including Osun. This congratulatory message is based on two grounds. First, any public or private expenditure on education is money well spent. Its trigger effects on other critical sectors of development can be monumental.
Secondly, in the document which conveyed the establishment of these colleges, the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari was emphatic in admitting that its choices of those six states of Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Osun, Sokoto and Edo was driven by the fact that those states had no Federal College of Education. The public relations officer of the National Commission for Colleges of Education, Mr. Amen Isaac, made it known that the decision to situate those six colleges in the six states was to right the injustice of the past.
This is reassuring for Nigerians who feel that government at the federal level is not unresponsive to Nigeria’s diversity. States where these are being established are urged to demonstrate the same sensibility and sensitivity in sitting the colleges and employing them to right past wrongs.
Arising from the above decision of the federal government is that public institutions and decisions on their locations are partly meant to spread the gains of development and confer advantages on the choice of geographical location. Some facts on previous locations of federal and state institutions in Osun State will be of help. Permit me to give a few examples. Osun State as it is the case with most states in Nigeria has three senatorial districts. It has nine federal constituencies.
The three senatorial districts are Osun West, Osun East and Osun Central. Of the nine federal constituencies in Osun State, Ayedire, Iwo and Ola-Oluwa Federal Constituency is one with its headquarters in Iwo. Of the nine federal constituencies, this federal constituency is the only one without either a federal or state institution. Osogbo has several tertiary institutions. Ilesa and Ile-Ife have the highest concentration of state and federal institutions. The same goes for Ila Orangun with the Federal Police College and Osun State College of Education. Yet, Iwo local government has the highest population in Osun State.
If respect for constitutional provisions on federal character, logic, social justice, social inclusion and the desire for peaceful co-existence are the sole criteria for deciding locations of institutions, no federal constituency headquarters has a superior argument or moral justification than Iwo. I have no doubt that Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State is God-fearing, cool and calm and will be persuaded more by logic in using his discretion on where in Osun this Federal College will be sited.
No doubt, he will come under severe pressure and intense lobbying to defer to emotions and political pressure. Fortunately for us in Osun State, we have leaders who share the broad mind set of Chief Obafemi Awolowo during the golden years of his administration of Western Region. Ikenne was the least on his mind. Chief Bisi Akande remains a phenomenon – cosmopolitan, politically savvy, prudent, live and let live, shun greed and one whose philosophy of life is to live things better than he met them.
Other political leaders should act in concert and be persuaded by rationality in conceding this Federal College of Education to Iwo. The federal government has shown that this is the way of civility that is deserving of emulation. This will go a long way to assuage frayed political nerves in Osun State and particularly in Iwo.
May the Almighty strengthen and guide Governor Oyetola as his government takes an appropriate decision on the location of this college. May he be able to place objective reality and logic above parochial considerations.
Lai Olurode, Dept. of Sociology University of Lagos
Well said and it left for rulers in Osun State to do the justice accordingly (ara oko ni imoran ati abaa to dara…a moo ara igboro konii je ki o see) I cross my fingers
You are just deceiving yourself,do you know who masterminded the establishment of these so called colleges of Education? Federal polytechnic ede is in which zone?
Ur write up is baseless and full of self interest. Permit me to remind u of many advantages ur home town Iwo so to say have enjoyed sofar.this is the problem we have in Yoruba land. Though is good as u are fighting for ur our dear home townand at the same time think of other. God bless you
Aside from industries, there is doubt that tertiary educational and health care institutions are universally veritable harbingers of development. Every patriot would therefore wish that such institutions as an FCE should be sited in one’s town or village. In this circumstance, what our decision-makers need to do is to harvest all government tertiary establishments located in each senatorial and federal constituency. From the results of the above, the application of fairness, equity and justice would rightly guide the State leadership the next place to site the institution, viz: an FCE!.
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JANUARY 6, 2020
UPDATE: Will The Proposed Federal College Of Education Osun Go To Iwo? – Lai Olurode
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frankoAL
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Opinion written and Composed By Lai Olurode,Dept. of Sociology University of Lagos
Dear Sir, I wish to commend and congratulate the Federal Government of Nigeria for its recent decision to establish six Federal Colleges of Education in six states including Osun. This congratulatory message is based on two grounds. First, any public or private expenditure on education is money well spent. Its trigger effects on other critical sectors of development can be monumental.
Secondly, in the document which conveyed the establishment of these colleges, the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari was emphatic in admitting that its choices of those six states of Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Osun, Sokoto and Edo was driven by the fact that those states had no Federal College of Education. The public relations officer of the National Commission for Colleges of Education, Mr. Amen Isaac, made it known that the decision to situate those six colleges in the six states was to right the injustice of the past.
This is reassuring for Nigerians who feel that government at the federal level is not unresponsive to Nigeria’s diversity. States where these are being established are urged to demonstrate the same sensibility and sensitivity in sitting the colleges and employing them to right past wrongs.
Arising from the above decision of the federal government is that public institutions and decisions on their locations are partly meant to spread the gains of development and confer advantages on the choice of geographical location. Some facts on previous locations of federal and state institutions in Osun State will be of help. Permit me to give a few examples. Osun State as it is the case with most states in Nigeria has three senatorial districts. It has nine federal constituencies.
The three senatorial districts are Osun West, Osun East and Osun Central. Of the nine federal constituencies in Osun State, Ayedire, Iwo and Ola-Oluwa Federal Constituency is one with its headquarters in Iwo. Of the nine federal constituencies, this federal constituency is the only one without either a federal or state institution. Osogbo has several tertiary institutions. Ilesa and Ile-Ife have the highest concentration of state and federal institutions. The same goes for Ila Orangun with the Federal Police College and Osun State College of Education. Yet, Iwo local government has the highest population in Osun State.
If respect for constitutional provisions on federal character, logic, social justice, social inclusion and the desire for peaceful co-existence are the sole criteria for deciding locations of institutions, no federal constituency headquarters has a superior argument or moral justification than Iwo. I have no doubt that Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State is God-fearing, cool and calm and will be persuaded more by logic in using his discretion on where in Osun this Federal College will be sited.
No doubt, he will come under severe pressure and intense lobbying to defer to emotions and political pressure. Fortunately for us in Osun State, we have leaders who share the broad mind set of Chief Obafemi Awolowo during the golden years of his administration of Western Region. Ikenne was the least on his mind. Chief Bisi Akande remains a phenomenon – cosmopolitan, politically savvy, prudent, live and let live, shun greed and one whose philosophy of life is to live things better than he met them.
Other political leaders should act in concert and be persuaded by rationality in conceding this Federal College of Education to Iwo. The federal government has shown that this is the way of civility that is deserving of emulation. This will go a long way to assuage frayed political nerves in Osun State and particularly in Iwo.
May the Almighty strengthen and guide Governor Oyetola as his government takes an appropriate decision on the location of this college. May he be able to place objective reality and logic above parochial considerations.
Lai Olurode, Dept. of Sociology University of Lagos
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3 COMMENTS
Hussien Idowu Mufutau January 6, 2020 At 1:04 pm
Well said and it left for rulers in Osun State to do the justice accordingly (ara oko ni imoran ati abaa to dara…a moo ara igboro konii je ki o see) I cross my fingers
Ksauthentic January 6, 2020 At 1:13 pm
You are just deceiving yourself,do you know who masterminded the establishment of these so called colleges of Education? Federal polytechnic ede is in which zone?
Oyewole Thomas January 6, 2020 At 2:11 pm
Ur write up is baseless and full of self interest. Permit me to remind u of many advantages ur home town Iwo so to say have enjoyed sofar.this is the problem we have in Yoruba land. Though is good as u are fighting for ur our dear home townand at the same time think of other.
Aside from industries, there is no doubt that tertiary educational and health care institutions are universally veritable harbingers of development. Every patriot would therefore wish that such institutions as an FCE should be sited in one’s town or village. In this circumstance, what our decision-makers need to do is to harvest all government tertiary establishments located in each senatorial and federal constituency. From the results of the above, the application of fairness, equity and justice would rightly guide the State leadership the next place to site the institution, viz: an FCE!.
Prof. Olurode’s points and analysis are the germaine facts needed for the sitting of the College.
If those concerned shoulďgo by the threat of the clownish ruler one would have say bye to Iwo’s request. My reason is based on the blackmailing tactics employed on the sitting of the College.
The earlier they ‘shut’ his mouth on this issue the better. The lobbying and other needed things should be left for Prof Olurode and other notables in IWO.
It is only an irresponsible Govt. that dances to the rhythms of blackmail.
The fact is that “Iwo is the best place where the school can be sited because it remains the most populous local government in Osun state”
All is well with the piece, the point raised by the Prof. was very Germain and injustice to one is an injustice to all. We should be fear in all our dealing in this country, federal character need to swing into actions and wright all what is wrong. Iwo deserved the proposed Federal College by the way of history. Infact,Iwo has been marginalised for donkey of years. She is the only senatorial headquarters without the presence of both state and Federal government, Iwo deserved it.
All government agencies, parastatals government worker and government cabinet should do the needful thing by endorsing Iwo citizens request
.thanks and God bless.
Osogbo has several tertiary institutions like? This is not only false, it is highly mischievous for a learned like the author to make such a baseless claim. The only govt owned tertiary institution in Osogbo is 1/6 institution which cannot, on itself, stand as an institution. Aside the so-called half Campus which is unaguably owned by the State Government, can the author mention any Federal institution in Osogbo? Abosolutely none.
That is the more reason why Osogbo is the most qualified town to host the Federal College of Education.