Open Letter to Governor Seyi Makinde: Reverse the Polythenic, Ibadan Name Change

BACKGROUND 

As proud alumni of The Polytechnic,  Ibadan, of five decades (from 1974), we make this public appeal to your excellency, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, to reverse, immediately,  the reported change in name of the Polytechnic, Ibadan to Victor Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan.

Let it be known that this is not an attack on the legacy of Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo. He was a respected mathematician, an accomplished intellectual, a former Governor of Oyo State and a true son of Ibadan/Oyo State of mammoth proportions. No one can dispute his towering contributions to politics, science, and discourse in Nigeria. However, we beg to differ that naming The Polytechnic,  Ibadan, after him is the best way to honour him. He can surely be immortalized through other appropriate edifice being named after him, which will not  uproot long-standing educational traditions or long-held educational identity that will disrupt the lives of multitudes concerned.

In the long and rich history of Nigeria’s higher education, few institutions have stood as tall, as proud, and as transformative as The Polytechnic, Ibadan. Since its founding in 1970, the name “The Polytechnic, Ibadan” has not only become a beacon of academic excellence but a heritage – etched into the hearts and identities of hundreds of thousands of alumni – that have passed through its storied gates and the public, who holds it in awe. Yet, today, this heritage is under siege.

A unilateral decision – bereft of wide consultations with critical stakeholders – has rebranded our beloved institution as Victor Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan. This is not just a name change; it is an identity theft.

Not The Polytechnic, Ibadan. That name is ours. It is the very soul of our alma mater. It belongs to us, the alumni, the lecturers, the students, the workers, and the city of Ibadan that raised it.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME

Let us remember the precedent of the University of Lagos (UNILAG). In 2012, the Federal Government, under President Goodluck Jonathan,  announced a name change of UNILAG to Moshood Abiola University, to honour the martyr of  our democracy, Bashorun MKO Abiola. But that decision was reversed due to outcry of the school’s alumni and the public.

THE LEGAL STANDING

The Polytechnic, Ibadan was established by law. According to the Polytechnic, Ibadan Law, Cap. P2 Laws of Oyo State,  2000, the name of the institution was enshrined and recognized legally. Any alteration must pass through:

1. The House of Assembly, with a public hearing

2. Wide consultation with key stakeholders, including the governing council and alumni.

3. Possible judicial review, if public interest is being compromised.

If any of these steps was bypassed, then the renaming process is illegal and subject to reversal by the courts.

REVERSE ACTION

We, the alumni, are giving this notice for a quick reversal of this action as we believe your excellency was not properly briefed of the consequences of such unilateral action which is apparently illegal,  lest we take all legal steps to reverse the same.

SIGNED: THE POLYTECHNIC, IBADAN

1974-1976 BASIC STUDIES ALUMNI

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