Of Osun and federal college of education

Nigerian schools are in dire need of trained and  qualified teachers to fill in the several vacancies in schools and to boost the educational objectives of the country. The available tertiary institutions are not enough to produce the needed number of teachers. As a result of these, the Federal Government has announced its plan to establish six more federal colleges of education. It has chosen states – six of them – that will host the proposed colleges. The government is sensitive enough to put into consideration the essence of equality among the states. The institutions will be established in states that do not have any federal colleges of education. This is commendable because equality should be considered.

Osun State will benefit from the government plan. The state has many tertiary institutions. There are currently two colleges of education in the state. Ila in Ila Local Government Area and Ilesa in Ilesa West Local Government Area have one each. Ila LGA is in Osun Central District while Ilesa West LGA is in Osun East (Ife-Ijesa). Only Osun West is yet to have a government-owned college of education. Osun State has a state polytechnic in Iree (Osun Central) and a college of technology in Esa-Oke (Osun East). Therefore, the proposed federal college of education should be sited in Osun West District. While agitating for this, we should remember that there are many towns in Osun West. Standing on equality claim, the proposed Federal College of Education should be in Ayedaade Local Government Area. And it should be specifically hosted by Gbongan, the political headquarters of Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State. Ede with its two local government areas has a federal polytechnic and some private universities. Ede has the same federal constituency with Ejigbo LGA, and Egbedore LGA. Iwo has enjoyed tremendous development because of the presence of Bowen University owned by the Baptist Church. Iwo shares the same constituency with Ayedire LGA and Olaoluwa LGA.

The only tertiary institution of learning in Ayedaade-Irewole-Isokan Federal Constituency is a campus of the Osun State University in Ikire. Ikire is the headquarters of Irewole LGA. Gbongan and Ayedaade Local Government Area have been lagging behind when it comes to dividends of democracy. Equality has been relegated to the backseat. Now is the time to establish a federal government presence in Gbongan.

Geographically, Gbongan is strategically located in-between two states and several towns making it accessible to all and sundry. It is less than 50km to Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State; about 20km to Ile-Ife, the host of Obafemi Awolowo University; 40km to Osogbo, the state capital of Osun; 45km to Ilesa, the list is inexhaustible! Gbongan deserves a federal college of education, in all honesty. Being close to many hosts of tertiary institutions of learning, siting the proposed school in Gbongan, the school will have opportunity to consult other schools in Ile-Ife, Ibadan and Ilesa.

In the 8th National Assembly, Mrs. Ayo Omidiran representing Ayedaade-Irewole-Isokan federal Constituency sponsored a bill to establish a federal college of education in Gbongan. The passage of the bill was speedy, but the before it could be passed, the 8th Assembly was dissolved. Hon. Taiwo Olukemi Oluga, now representing the same constituency, has taken it upon herself the agitation to establish a federal college of education in Gbongan. She has sponsored a bill to that effect and the bill has passed the first two readings and now at the Committee stage. This shows the readiness of Gbongan for the college of education.

Besides, Gbongan has enough land to establish the school. The community will not only be ready, but also willing to provide a piece of land to establish the academic institution. Gbongan has been accommodating to every institution and agency it hosts.

Politically, Gbongan has never for once relented in its political support for the ruling All Progressives Congress. The party has won in every election since 2007 when it was Action Congress of Nigeria. Gbongan should benefit from the government. Our people deserve some rewards for their political loyalty to the APC. Now is the time.

Lastly, I must state that more than 100 indigenes of the community are professors. Gbongan can boast of numerous PhD holders, thousands of Master Degree holders, tens of thousands of graduates in various disciplines. They can constitute the academic and non-academic staff of the proposed school. Gbongan has passion for education as reflected in the number of academics it has produced over the years. Siting the school in Gbongan will further help to develop education.

There are many more reasons to bring the school to Gbongan.

• Faboade writes in from Gbongan, Osun State.