Awolowo’s kinsmen protest relocation of varsity college
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By Sola AJIBIKE (Abeokuta)
NIGERIA: FELLOW kinsmen of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, have protested against the planned relocation of the Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences in Ikenne to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.
The protesters, under the aegis of Ikenne People’s Forum and Ikenne Development Association on Monday, urged the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and the management of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye to rescind the decision.
The groups that addressed newsmen at a press conference held at the Obafemi Awolowo Square, Ikenne, Ogun State, threatened to sue the government should it fail to reverse the decision within 28 days.
The President of Ikenne People’s Forum, Adeleke Adesina, who spoke on behalf of the groups, lamented that the relocation of the health college would ruin the socio-economic life of the people of the town.
According to him, indigenes of Ikenne “had invested a lot of their resources to service the university staff and students.”
Adesina who alleged that by relocating the college, the government and authorities of the university conspired to ridicule the memory of Awolowo, added that the facilities at the college donated by the indigenes had been left to deteriorate.
He stated that when news filtered last year that the college would be relocated, the community wrote the governor and the vice-chancellor of the university demanding explanation, but there was no response.
“We also made efforts on our part to find out what could be reasons for this inconsiderate action. The only significant reason we were to establish is lack of enough facilities,” Adesina said.
He added: “This came to us as a rude shock, as nobody had deemed it necessary to approach us for possible assistance as a reliable benefactor of the university in the past and a major stakeholder.
“Those that took the action ignored the philosophy behind the establishment of the university. We were therefore shocked to discover in March this year that all the departments at the Ikenne campus have moved to Sagamu, except for Anatomy which peculiar circumstance cannot allow them to move now.”
“We hereby demand that Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences be returned to its statutory location, Ikenne,” Adesina said, adding: “That, if by the end of 28 days after this press conference, nothing positive is done towards addressing issues raised towards a reversal of the decision to move the campus to Sagamu, we shall have no alternative than to seek legal solution.”
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