FAYEMI ANNOUNCES IKOLE AS SITE OF NEW FEDERAL VARSITY IN EKITI
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, has announced the ancient town of Ikole-Ekiti, headquarters of Ikole Local Government Area, as
the site of the new federal university allocated to the Southwest geopolitical zone.
Fayemi who made the declaration on Monday while hosting the Minister of State for Education, Chief Kenneth Gbagi, said the decision to site
the university in Ikole-Ekiti was informed by the need to give the people of the northern part of the state an opportunity of enjoying
dividends of democracy.
While on an inspection visit to the site alongside the minister, the people of the town praised Fayemi for not toeing in the path of former
governors in the country who influenced the location of similar projects to their hometowns.
The new university will make use of the site of the Agricultural Development Project in Ikole town which satisfies the choice of
balance in the location of tertiary institutions in the state.
According to the minister, the choice of the location for the University is purely that of the number one citizen of the state,
which the Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting rightly exercised in the announcement of Ikole.
The Federal Government had two weeks ago signified its intent to establish new universities in all the six geopolitical zones of the
country with Ekiti being the only state in the Southwest without a federal university.
But it is the governor that has the final say on where the university would be located in the state.
Fayemi disclosed that the university will focus on Agriculture Engineering, Biotechnology, Mining which he believed would benefit
Ekiti which is an agrarian state.
The governor who had visited President Goodluck Jonathan on the new varsity pledged the support of his administration for the early
take-off of the university.
“As at last Thursday when I saw the President, he confirmed to me that we will have one in Ekiti. That is why the Honourable Minister is here
with his team.
“The one for Ekiti will focus on Agricultural Engineering, Biotechnology and Mining†, the governor said.
The Chairman of Ikole Local Government, Chief Biodun Akin Fasae, thanked the governor for his magnanimity on the choice of Ikole,
noting that the people will forever be grateful for this huge dividend of democracy.
Responding, the minister who was accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius
Okojie reiterated the commitment of the President to providing the access to education for all and sundry.
Gbagi who disclosed that the university will begin academic activities September next year said available logistics will determine the smooth
take-off of the institution adding that the Federal Government will expedite work on the project.
the site of the new federal university allocated to the Southwest geopolitical zone.
Fayemi who made the declaration on Monday while hosting the Minister of State for Education, Chief Kenneth Gbagi, said the decision to site
the university in Ikole-Ekiti was informed by the need to give the people of the northern part of the state an opportunity of enjoying
dividends of democracy.
While on an inspection visit to the site alongside the minister, the people of the town praised Fayemi for not toeing in the path of former
governors in the country who influenced the location of similar projects to their hometowns.
The new university will make use of the site of the Agricultural Development Project in Ikole town which satisfies the choice of
balance in the location of tertiary institutions in the state.
According to the minister, the choice of the location for the University is purely that of the number one citizen of the state,
which the Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting rightly exercised in the announcement of Ikole.
The Federal Government had two weeks ago signified its intent to establish new universities in all the six geopolitical zones of the
country with Ekiti being the only state in the Southwest without a federal university.
But it is the governor that has the final say on where the university would be located in the state.
Fayemi disclosed that the university will focus on Agriculture Engineering, Biotechnology, Mining which he believed would benefit
Ekiti which is an agrarian state.
The governor who had visited President Goodluck Jonathan on the new varsity pledged the support of his administration for the early
take-off of the university.
“As at last Thursday when I saw the President, he confirmed to me that we will have one in Ekiti. That is why the Honourable Minister is here
with his team.
“The one for Ekiti will focus on Agricultural Engineering, Biotechnology and Mining†, the governor said.
The Chairman of Ikole Local Government, Chief Biodun Akin Fasae, thanked the governor for his magnanimity on the choice of Ikole,
noting that the people will forever be grateful for this huge dividend of democracy.
Responding, the minister who was accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius
Okojie reiterated the commitment of the President to providing the access to education for all and sundry.
Gbagi who disclosed that the university will begin academic activities September next year said available logistics will determine the smooth
take-off of the institution adding that the Federal Government will expedite work on the project.
Alhaji Mojeed Jamiu
SSA Media, Ekiti
November 22, 2010
_______________________________________________________________________
ALUKO COMMENTARY
We must note the swiftness and non-contentious nature of this announcement, and the general acclamation that it has received
by Ekiti citizens. It once and for all corrects a geographical imbalance (in being cited in Ikole, Northern Ekiti) and a numerical imbalance (in a federal university in the South-West now being sited in Ekiti State)
Moving on....
There will then soon be FIVE universities in Ekiti alone:
1. The University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD) - State
2. The University of Education, Ikere (TUNEDIK) - State
3. Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) - Private
4. The Federal University at Ikole [FUI?] - Federal
5. the inchoate University of Science & Technology, Ifaki (USTI) - State
For our size (both population and geography) and revenue generation level (both state and federal) - bearing in mind all other responsibilities - that is too many already, and certainly close to Ado-Ekiti. We will have to rationalize the number and focus, certainly of the state universities, leaving UNAD intact. Maybe FUI will help in doing that.
We shall see......
Bolaji Aluko
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