Natives of Ogbomoso in Oyo State staged a protest across the ancient town on Monday over the planned relocation of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, to a newly established campus of the school located in Iseyin, Oyo State.
In April 2023, the indigenes of the town staged a protest against the planned relocation of the faculty to the Iseyin campus.
The protest was organised by a socio-cultural group in the town, ‘Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye.’
The chairman of the group, Prince Aderemi Olude, noted that the protest was not to fight the government but underlined the fact that Ogbomoso people have nothing against either Governor Makinde or Iseyin people.
He said, “We are not fighting the government. These same saboteurs are now saying we did not take action in time and that it is already late, yet they were the ones that refused to facilitate our planned meeting with the Governor for dialogue on the matter, we went to them several times.”
The President of Ogbomoso Community Youth Foru, Peter Olaleye, collaborated with Olude, adding that the protest was to engage the government since they have not been able to meet the state governor, Seyi Makinde.
“We are not fighting the government of His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, as erroneously believed by some of our fathers.
“Rather, we are trying to engage the government through this medium since we aren’t able to meet him.
“It’s only to state our views on a matter that affects our community, its economy and wellbeing. We will thus be unpatriotic if we fail to state our view on it. Protest is inherent to democracy.
“Let me state clearly that we are not against the university being turned into a multi-campus, nor are we opposed to the take-off of Iseyin campus, never!
“Rather, what we advocate is to start the new faculties being planned in Iseyin or any other place(s). That will afford the new campus to grow in accordance with available facilities,” he said.
