Ife 21

Nationalism and populism aren’t necessarily collocating synonyms. Both aren’t also necessarily fired by the same imagination. They don’t equally project similar perception. While the former is largely seen as positive, the world is deliberately tagging populism as the ugly visage of condemnable selfishness. But how does one situate both being simultaneously roused in a people? Positive selfishness?

By being crassly ethnic in its response to the bloody crisis in Ile-Ife between the indigenes and Hausa/Fulani settlers, the Federal Government is inevitably firing the passion of nationalism and populism in an average Yoruba man and his sympathizer elsewhere. The arrest, parade and threat of prosecution of 21 Ife indigenes and the complete exoneration of the Northern party in the crisis, by the central government, is the classical expression of the Agba osika (wickedly biased peace-maker) Yoruba wisecrack.

It is one nepotistic handling of a national assignment that would haunt the Muhammadu Buhari’s government for years after its expiration and may even quicken its collapse before the exit date.

For an administration that anchors its pride on being overtly stubborn, the front-rowers are likely to be derisively laughing off the resurgent nationalism and populism spreading across Yorubaland over IGP Ibrahim Kputom Idris’ disingenuous ways with the crisis, as sheer opportunism for those leading the charge. But Buhari’s government won’t have the last laugh if the punish-only-the-Yoruba trend is sustained. I still remember the vicious smirk on Abdulraham Dambazau’s face during his visit to Ile-Ife. It spoke a lot to abundance of heart content. Those digging this pit should be careful with the depth. This is a prophecy.

LAUTECH ownership: A stakeholder’s view (2)

Before then, does Alhaji Bashiru know that aside one, all principal officers in LAUTECH are Osun indigenes? I doubt if he knows what Wole Olanipekun committee report has to say about staff composition. Does he know how each of the governors in both states relates with the school since 1999? The records are there and when the time comes everybody will bear his or her father’s name.

Is he claiming Osun is not owing the institution N5.3bn while Oyo is owing N2.3bn? When was the N900million disbursed to the school to effect monetisation arrears by Osun government while Oyo State had not dropped a penny (?) to provide counterpart contribution? Is Alhaji aware that 2015/2016 TETFund for Oyo state was solely spent on LAUTECH while Osun State spent its own on its solely-owned higher institutions? Is he aware that many Oyo indigenes have contributed in no small measure to the growth of the school through personal donations of buildings and cash but Osun state indigenes are nowhere to be found despite the claim of joint ownership. There is yet to be any convincing commitment towards the development of the school in any of the two campuses by any particular individual or groups from Osun rather they faced the state solely owned institutions. While we can count the activities of the likes of Chief (Dr.)L.A.Gbadamosi, the Owodunni family, Abidoye Ayoola amongst others from Oyo let Alhaji Bashiru mention any notable Osun indigene who has contributed to the growth of the institution. Ejo ni a maa nko a kii ko ija.

Whatever one doesn’t know is greater than one. Alhaji demonstrated this when he asked where and how Oyo will get to part with 50 per cent valued at N125bn liquidity to Osun if peradventure Osun decides to walk out of LAUTECH since the net worth of the school in structures, good will and educational value is worth well over N250bn. I just can’t stop laughing.Well, we know who built what and when. The records are there. Eni to mo ibi ti oro maa pari si ota oloro ni.

What has his chapter of the Alumni of the school contributed to the growth of the school in specific terms? Is he happy seeing students and workers of the institution suffer as a result of the lacklustre performance of the two governors all in the name of joint ownership? While it cannot be controverted that Osun has a university solely sponsored and financed, I am advising Alhaji Bashiru Omidiran to send any of his children or siblings to Oyo State Technical University in the coming session (2017/2018) and I am ready to pay the school fees. I find it difficult to understand why people preferred to hide the truth which will definitely, like water, find its level. If Osun State University is running effectively (?) without subventions for over five years as claimed by Alhaji Bashiru, one wonders where the words “solely sponsored and financed” come from. He has actually exposed the ineptitude of the state government which has contaminated Oyo State government and both dereliction of their duties to LAUTECH.

It is quite disturbing that someone can be swimming in the ocean of ignorance and still be celebrating!

Thank God Alhaji Bashiru understands that “ the trending practices in a global village of the academic sphere shows clearly that the best and well-rated universities, and other higher institutions are economically and financially self-sustaining, not totally dependent on the owners of the schools/proprietors/governments, a norm preached, exercised and practiced even in privately-owned educational facilities. In essence, it is because of “not totally dependent” that subventions are periodically given to these institutions to augment their income so as to effectively discharge their duties.

No doubting the fact Osun is brandishing a Supreme Court judgment of 2012 on LAUTECH, but the day Oyo will have a governor with desperate ambition about education, whose disposition towards equity, justice and fairness is invaluable. I wonder what will become of Alhaji Bashiru and his likes, half-truth, outright falsehood, and gross misrepresentation of fact and figures. Then the wind will blow and the fowl secret will be revealed.

As for Mr Lanre Adewole conscience is an open wound only truth can heal it. More ink to your pen.

Odedokun Adeyemi. 08035029091 (Concluded).