AMOSUN SCRAPS TASUED

Ogun State Government has taken landmark decisions on the education sector of the state with the scrapping of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), the nation's premier university of education, Ijegun, Ijebu-Ode. It also collapsed into one, the four state-owned Information, Communication Technology (ICT) Polytechnics earlier scattered in Saapade-Remo, Ijebu Igbo and Itori areas of the state.

Addressing a press conference in Abeokuta yesterday, the state Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Segun Odubela said the decision was taken in the best interest of the state and her people.

Erstwhile governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel established TASUED as the nation's premier university of education and the second in Africa as well as established four ICT polytechnics in the three senatorial districts of the state.

Odubela who was accompanied by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Alhaji Yusuf Olaniyonu lamented that TASUED had lost focus by offering courses that were not purely education. The duo said the action of the state government under the leadership of Senator Ibikunle Amosun was a fallout of the recommendations of the visitation panel set up to investigate activities in the state-owned tertiary institutions.

But in a swift reaction to the government decision, hundreds of students of TASUED stormed the Iwe-iroyin Press Centre to register their displeasure against the scrapping of the institution. They condemned the government's action and gave a 24-hour ultimatum within which to rescind its decision or face the wrath of the entire students population of the institution.

The students carrying placards with different inscriptions like: 'Amosun fight OGD, leave education.' 'Amosun stop being a dictator;' 'TASUED says no to merger;' 'Our school is not a bank;' Don't jeopardise our future.'

The Students Union President of the institution, Oyekanmi Abdulahi and his deputy, Olayemi Alaka and the institution's Transition Chairman, Adewumi Tosin, expressed dismay at the government's decision. According to the students, the decision of the state government was not only ill-timed but not in their best interest and reasoned that it would retard their academic progress.

While addressing the press, Odubela insisted that the decision of the state government was in the best interest of the people and the state. He added that their action was an aftermath of the perusal of the recommendations of the visitation panel set up to examine academic situations in the affected institutions.

The commissioner expressed dismay that the institutions, particularly the TASUED, had derailed from the dream and vision of its founding fathers alleging that it ran courses that were not related to education.

His words: 'The decision to do that was in the overall interest of people of Ogun State. Even presently, if you go to the university, I can even give you the percentage of those courses being offered on education.