Mimiko under fire over OSUSTECH...Indigenes allege victimisation

Olusegun Mimiko
Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko has come under fire from indigenes over the revocation of Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) license by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The Unity Social Club of Nigeria, Warri, in an open letter to Mimiko, stated that it came to them as a rude shock when candidates who earlier sought admission into the school for the 2009/2010 session were sent to Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko.

The open letter was signed by Ifajeunnu Gabriel, President; Funmilayo Joseph, Vice President and Adesioye Kolawole, General Secretary.

While describing the inaction of Mimiko as dastardly and cantankerous, they stressed that “it simply implies that the governor wanted to kill-off OSUSTECH before its birth against the plan of his predecessor, Olusegun Agagu and the Ondo State House of Assembly which had earlier backed the establishment of the institution.”

According to them “The Ondo Central Senatorial District is already saturated with five higher institutions, namely, Adeyemi College of Education (Degree Awarding) Ondo; Federal University of Technology, Akure; School of Agric, Akure; School of Nursing, Akure and School of Health Technology, Akure," they said. The Ondo North Senatorial District has Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo; Ondo State University,

Akungba-Akoko and Ondo State College of Arts and Science, Ikare Akoko.

"The people of Ondo South Senatorial District vehemently rejects tactical victimisation and say no to educational marginalisation.

From our empirical finding, the people of Ondo South Senatorial District, comprising of Ilaje, Ese-odo, Irele, Odigbo and Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo may have to travel as far as 150 kilometre on land and water before they can get a university, this is incredulous and incredibly unfair."

The group also called on Mimiko to work, to restore the license of the university and its eventual takeoff as a way of assuaging the anger of the people.

"Your Excellency, people are boiling, restiveness is building up and people are ready to lay their lives to sacrifice their blood," the letter said. "Please, Your Excellency, resist those who are parading themselves in the corridor of power as Special Advisers. They are nothing but sycophants and fifth columnists who are bent in slaughtering your political dreams in the alter of political golgotha. A stitch in time saves nine."