On Monday, indigenes of Ogbomoso in Oyo State protested the proposed transfer of the faculty of agricultural sciences from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, to the institution’s recently opened campus in Iseyin.
The locals of the town organised a protest in April 2023 in opposition to the faculty’s proposed transfer to the Iseyin campus.
Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye, a sociocultural organisation in the community, organised the protest.
Prince Aderemi Olude, the group’s head, emphasised that the Ogbomoso people have nothing against either Governor Makinde or the Iseyin people while pointing out that the protest was not intended to overthrow the government.
He said, “We are not fighting the government. These same saboteurs are now saying we did not take action in time and that it is already late, yet they were the ones that refused to facilitate our planned meeting with the Governor for dialogue on the matter, we went to them several times.”
Together with Olude, Peter Olaleye, the president of the Ogbomoso Community Youth Foru, said that the demonstration was intended to engage the government because they had been unable to meet with Seyi Makinde, the governor of the state.
“We are not fighting the government of His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, as erroneously believed by some of our fathers.
“Rather, we are trying to engage the government through this medium since we aren’t able to meet him.
“It’s only to state our views on a matter that affects our community, its economy and wellbeing. We will thus be unpatriotic if we fail to state our view on it. Protest is inherent to democracy.
“Let me state clearly that we are not against the university being turned into a multi-campus, nor are we opposed to the take-off of Iseyin campus, never!
“Rather, what we advocate is to start the new faculties being planned in Iseyin or any other place(s). That will afford the new campus to grow in accordance with available facilities,” he said.
