Group begs Buhari to establish College of Education in Osogbo

The Osogbo Development Action Group (ODAG) has appealed to the Federal Government to establish the proposed Federal College of Education for Osun in Osogbo, the state capital, to enable the community feel the federal presence.

The Secretary of the Group, Mr Oladejo Shuaib, made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Lagos.

NAN reports that the federal government recently approved the establishment of six Federal Colleges of Education in the six geo-political zones.

The newly approved institutions would be situated in Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Osun and Sokoto states.

Shuaib commended the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for approving the new colleges for immediate take-off, in a bid to increase the number of quality teachers in the country.

He said that the establishment was another landmark achievement of the President’s administration in the education sector.

“On behalf of the Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, Larooye II, the good people of Osogbo commend the incorruptible, fearless and objectivity of the President.

“We have no doubt in your efforts toward moving Nigeria to enviable heights in the comity of nations, especially in the Africa continent.

“We pray that the Almighty God, will continue to enrich you with strength and wisdom in your relentless strives to move Nigeria to its next level,’’ the group prayed.

Giving credence to its request to have the institution located in Osogbo, the group said the town was made the capital of Osun, which was created on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 1991.

The state was created alongside Abia, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Kebbi, Taraba, Kogi and Yobe states, in the same year.

“Among all the state capitals in Nigeria, Osogbo is the most deprived and neglected state capital in all ramifications, especially in term of federal presence.

“Since the president’s approval for the establishment of a Federal College of Education in Osun became known to the public, our hope was rekindled that our dream to host a federal institution has finally become a reality.

“Osogbo people are sincerely thankful to you and we are glad to inform you that Osogbo has reserved a site for immediate take-off of the institution.’’

The group, therefore, appeal to the President to consider locating the college in Osogbo.

It pointed out that six cities – Lafia, Gombe, Gusau, Ado-Ekiti, Yenagoa and Abakaliki that are five years younger than Osogbo as state capitals enjoy the presence of federal institutions located there.

“Bayelsa has its Federal Polytechnic and FMC in Yenogoa, Ebonyi has its Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki while Ado-Ekiti had already been blessed with Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti even before the state came into being in October 1996,’’ the group stated.

It added that the federal intuitions in Nigeria were located in the state capitals, while some state capitals had three or more federal tertiary institutions such as Owerri with FUTO, Federal Polytechnic and Federal College of Education all in Owerri; Ibadan with UI, UCH, Federal office of statistics all in Ibadan.

Other states had at least two tertiary intuitions such as Akure with FUTA and College of Agriculture; Abeokuta hosts the Federal University of Agriculture and a Federal College of Education.

“We, however, pleaded with President Buhari, being an advocate of fairness, equity and justice to allow the natural law of equity and fairness take its cause in his choice of location of the Federal College of Education in Osogbo.

“The people of Osogbo would forever be grateful to Buhari’s administration if their hope is restored as they await the declaration of citing of college in Osogbo.