Analysing Ogun State Governments Press Release on OOU Closure The Press release issued by the state government on the closure of OOU is filled with lies and half-truths; something that has become a regular occurrence whenever this government is concerned. It is true that the Ogun state government met OOU in a bad way; a result of the mismanagement and havoc wreaked by the Otunba Gbenga Daniel regime. Under OGD, the university was neglected, funds of cooperative societies were borrowed, swallowed and never returned, lecturers were sacked massively and core courses were on the verge of dis-accreditation, tuition fee was jerked up. But then, in 2011 while campaigning, Governor Amosun promised that if he was elected, he would effect a 50% reduction in the fees. Before OGD increased the fees, indigenes of the state were paying 50, 000+ and non-indigenes were paying 70, 000+, after the increment, indigenes started paying 120, 000+ while non-indigenes paid 150, 000+. Now, after winning the election, Governor Amosun failed to effect that reduction. It was after the Oyeyiola Joel-led OOU SUG agitated and threatened to storm Abeokuta that the Governor appeased the students by implementing a 10% reduction. The reason why students agreed to the 10% reduction then was that he appealed that he was rebuilding the state owing to the reign of terror and mismanagement unleashed by the OGD government. He however promised to fully implement the 50% reduction. Till date, he has failed to do that. Like his predecessor, Governor Ibikunle Amosun has neglected the university in terms of funding and infrastructural development. The tradition in OOU is that the State will give the university 70% funding while the university will generate the remaining 30% money needed for the running and development of the university. But Governor Amosun has failed woefully in this regard. He claimed that his government pays 600 million to OOU monthly as subvention. What a lie! OOUs wage bill is 250 million. Where then did he pay 600 million? The accreditation panel that visited OOU recently dis-accredited some core courses in the university due to the state of infrastructural decay in OOU. The recent nfrastructural developments in OOU are due to the interventions of ETF and as a result of the funding released by the FG which was a result of ASUUs last struggle. Let it be on record that out of the ten (10) tertiary institutions in Ogun state, OOU is the only one that has been agitating for a reduction in fees. The reason is that other schools pay below 100, 000 with the exception of TASUED that pays slightly above 100, 000. OOU pays as high as 290, 000. The OOU SUG started agitations for a reduction about 3 months ago. The reason is that the number of students that applied for leave of absence (dropped out) this year alone triples that of the last 2 years. In the faculty of science alone, more than 90 students dropped out because they couldnt afford the astronomical fees. Other schools kept mute because they pay peanuts. Announcing a reduction in the fees of all tertiary institutions therefore is a political move. While we do not care about the political undertone of the reduction, we care that the announced reduction does not meet our demands and even more, that it wouldnt be implemented this session, but next session; after the 2015 elections. Who wants to trust this government again? It becomes a case of fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. The state government said Lagos state government could afford to reduce the fees to 25, 000 because their IGR is more than ours in Ogun state. Let us not forget that as worse as we all say OGDs regime was, for 7 of the 8 years he spent in power, OOU didnt pay more than 100, 000. It was when he was nearing the end of his 7th year when he was showing his evil colours and was at the height of his power drunkenness that he jerked up the fees. How did he manage to run OOU for those 6 years with OOU students paying 50, 000 despite our IGR? Governor Amosun and his cronies should stop looking for hiding places because there is none. The lockdown of OOU only goes to show a lack of focus and responsibility on the part of this state government. Rather than sit up and respond to the demands; they are bent on spreading propaganda and using students to fight students. They have claimed we are being sponsored by opposition. If that is true, we ask them to publish the names of the sponsors, the student leaders involved and the evidence. If they are convinced that our cause and demands are political, let the Governor announce the reduction we want and implement it this session and see if we will still talk or protest. Until they can do that, let them tuck in their lips. We expect all the propaganda; you cant fight government and expect them to sit back and relax. They will fight back with their might. We are determined however to fight this till we win. We are convinced of the genuineness of our course and our students have an unbreakable belief in us, they have refused to travel home in spite of governments threats. Our students are prepared to fight this no matter how long it takes. We are also aware that they are planning to bring together some sponsored professional parents in a Parents Teachers Meeting and show them on OGTV. The parents will tell you that they are happy with Governor Amosuns work and praise him for the good work. The parents will denounce the protesting students as political agents and sponsored people claiming their children are not there. Fellow Nigerians, my mother is yet to get her own invitation to the meeting. None of our mothers are being invited. The state government is manufacturing mothers who are not ours to discredit this. They are not our parents, we do not know them. When they show them, do not believe them. It can only be shown on OGTV, a station renowned for falsehood and lies. We are not one of those schools that will go and prostrate to anybody to reopen our school. Truth is on our side, we are convinced of the correctness of our cause and as such will fight the government with everything we have until we achieve the reduction and achieve it this year. We are not sponsored! We are genuine students fighting a genuine cause. Let the public beware and refuse to swallow the lies of this government. James Ogunjimi CDHR Coordinator 08134319591
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 15:17:54 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015