Relocation of MAUSTECH: The Egba Agenda

I have read with keen interest the various positions on the issue of relocation of the proposed Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH) by the leadership of the revered Abeokuta Club, led by her amiable President, Engr. Tokunbo Odebunmi. No doubt, that should be the position of a true son of the soil.

However, as a stakeholder on the issue, let me start by saying while I, on behalf of the Mapoly community, is not opposed to this clarion insistence of the proposed University in Abeokuta by the Egbas, our position as an institution is that, the issue of the University should be separated first, from the Polytechnic so that the 40year old institution can continue with her full academic activities, and do not continuously suffer same unwarranted setback as it did under Senator Amosun who, for no reason, distorted the smooth administration of the Polytechnic for over two years without a recourse to the future of both staff and students.

Now on the main business, from the position paper of the briefing of yesterday, certain issues have to be put straight. One, the paper claimed MAUSTECH has a land mass of 1320 hectares of land, where? I wish to know. Two, the paper was also quoted as saying “a situation whereby all structures of the university will be ceded to MAPOLY…leaving MAUSTECH bear with no facilities in place…” May I ask again here, where are those structures? I think it should be made clear that the structures on the soil of Ojere belong to MAPOLY and no one else.

And on a serious note, I want to agree with one of those who have talked on this platform that location of tertiary should not be political, rather on merit. Yes, the Ogun Central deserves a University being the capital city of the state, but should we settle for an “abiku University”? I have asked this question in the face of the unbridled sufferings being experienced by the existing institutions in the state with several arrears of salaries owed?

Moreso, are the proponents of this agitation aware of the conditions of MAPOLY as at today? Are they aware that the only road to the institution was abandoned wickedly by their own son who dreamt of upgrading MAPOLY to a University without recourse for the road to that same University? Let me further ask that with all sense of humility and responsibility, aside of the legacies of the Late Chief M.K.O Abiola as the only Egba son on that campus, which other project is owned or can be regarded to as contributions of an Egba man or the Egba people on that campus in the almost four decades of the existence of the institution? All the other donated buildings there are done by people from other clans of the state, not the Egbas.

The most annoying was the immediate past Governor, an Egba man, the dreamer of the upgrade, an alumnus of the same institution, who spent eight years in office, but without a single block or project as his legacy despite that the last time he visited the institution on the polytechnic last convocation, he promised to build two hostels with each in honour of his mother and father. As I speak, not even was a place cleared for such empty promise talkless of a block of foundation.

The bottom line is this, while the agitation on the issues of the proposed MAUSTECH and the new OgunPoly continues, we at MAPOLY are not against the establishment of the University in Ogun Central as the case may be, all we request is to allow the Polytechnic which have made its name to continue with the provision of her academic service to the teeming members of the public while the issue of MAUSTECH and the new OgunPoly continues as the government may deem it fit.

As a matter of fact, we had proposed in the past and even at the moment, that the Polytechnic (MAPOLY) still have more than enough land mass that can accommodate the proposed University, and that we are willing to accommodate the university as Oyo State did with the Premier University at Ibadan and Polytechnic both coexisting peacefully and progressively.