The Ogbomoso Descendants Development Association, ODDA, has responded to a claim by the Chief Press Secretary to Oyo State governor, Taiwo Adisa on the ongoing crisis generated by Governor Makinde’s plan to make Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, a multi-campus institution.
The governor’s spokesperson had said a former governor in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala while campaigning for his governorship bid in 2011, promised to run LAUTECH with a multi-campus structure if given the mandate by the people at that time. A claim which ODDA called irresponsible and thoughtless.
“First and foremost, we have no intention to join issue with our own son the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa who is equally not only a son from Ogbomoso but also a member of Ogbomoso Descendants Development Association (ODDA),”the group wrote.
The Public Relations Officer of the association, Comrade Aremu Segun Kuti, while speaking on behalf of the association, also explained that he was not surprised about the Chief Press Secretary’s statement as what he is doing is observing table manners albeit to the detriment of his place of origin, Ogbomoso.
“It is a pity our own brother is one of those leading this onslaught against our land.”
“We are worried that someone of his own caliber can be equating a mere political campaign promise to be formal government policy. This same campaign promise that nearly got the then governor into trouble is now what Mr. Adisa is referring to genuine intention of the state government.
“Ordinarily one would have thought the Government will first implement the late Ajimobi’s promise to give Oke-Ogun a campus of Technical University and not LAUTECH which is just coming out of several years of neglect and abandonment.
“Adisa and his co-betrayers are actually the mischief makers in the real sense and hiding under Akala’s political campaign to pursue this agenda against Ogbomoso is an act of cowardice not known to be part of a real Ogbomoso blood at the detriment of Ogbomoso.
“If LAUTECH is to be broken to pieces, then the College of Education, the two Polytechnics and the Technical University should have campuses in Ogbomoso.
“LAUTECH has suffered more than enough neglect and now that government have the opportunity to restore its lost glory, it is gunning for an unreasonable split to further destroy the institution more than ever,” Kuti said.
“The association also said the state has established Technical University after the 2011 polls and also having a Federal University approved for Oke-Ogun.
“Our action is not just because the school is in Ogbomoso, it is more of rescuing the institution from another avoidable mess that has ruined its standard all these years.
“Osun multi-campus idea is a lesson. Apart from the extremely low standard of education there, the tuition fees are more than double what parents and guardians in the state can afford,”he added.
