Daniel, Ogun gov aspirant condemn closure of OOU

THE immediate past governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, has condemned the closure of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, on the order of the state government, until further notice.
He said this while addressing members of the Labour Party during its federal constituency meeting, held at Ota area of the state on Sunday.

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Daniel said that the Ibikunle Amosun-led administration ought have employed dialogue with the students as a way of resolving the issue.
The former governor said: “For the first time in the history of Ogun State, students went on strike. During my tenure, I ran students-friendly government.
“No single occasion during my administration, where police harassed students. I sympathise with the students and I want to appeal to you don’t let anybody waste your lives.
“In other climes, when students embark on such demands, government dialogue with them and both arrive at a consensus.”
In a related development, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Honourable Abiodun Akinlade, has condemned the closure of the state-owned varsity, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, by the state government.
Akinlade, a member representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency, described the decision as a sign of government’s weakness to engage the students in meaningful dialogue, saying the action was political.
Nigerian Tribune recalls that the state government through the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, had ordered the governing council of the institution to closed the school until further notice, following a two-day protest by students of the institution over the recently announced reduction of fees in tertiary institutions across the state.
The lawmaker, in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, wondered why government would act over a purported threat to public peace by the students as against dialoguing.
He said: “We considered the decision of the Amosun-led government to shutdown Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye as a sign of its inability to meaningfully engage the students, who are rightly agitating for concessions as regards their school fees.
“In other climes, when students embark on such demands, government dialogued with them and both arrived at a consensus, but in Ogun State, reverse is the case. No doubt, this government is weak in its exchange of ideas with the people of the state.
“For the umpteenth time, the ominous problem envisaged by many of us over the somersaulting policies of this government is beginning to take shape. After failing in its bid to politicise the scrapping of the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, the government embarked on a wild goose chase of ‘model schools’ across the state, before it finally at its twilight announced a Greek gift of reduction in fees.
“With the scope and scale of education in our state, we called on all well-meaning personalities in the state to prevail on the government to reopen the institution, liberalise its process of dialogue with stakeholders in the school and reordered its priorities, otherwise, a logjam in the education sector is inevitable.”