It was pleasant to see former President Olusegun Obasanjo some two weeks back when he received an honorary doctoral degree in Science Education from Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State.

What appears most instructive was Obasanjo’s response after the conferment. The man, who appears to many in the political affairs of Nigeria, earning sobriquets such as “Ebora Owu” (the ghomind or masquerade generalissimo of Owu kingdom in Egbaland), explained that one of the main reasons he accepted the honorary degree (even though he has declined many such offers from other Nigerian universities in the past and has also not accepted one from Bells, his own private university) was the belief that teacher education needs to be rescued in Nigeria and a University of Education is an ideal specialized institution that should be established for such a purpose. Such a reasoning, he argued, informed his decision twelve years earlier, while he was still the President, to upgrade four colleges of education to wit: Adeyemi College in Ondo, Alvan Ikoku College in Owerri and the Federal Colleges of Education in Kano and Zaria to Universities of Education; a decision his government announced but could not take off then due to some logistic reasons before his end of tenure as President.

General Obasanjo further explained that the Ogun State Government was smart enough to learn from the Federal Government’s initiative by establishing TASUED,  which today is the first University of Education in Nigeria. What Obasanjo did not add, however, was that the Ogun State Government, which established the new university, was superintended by Otunba Gbenga Daniel as Governor.

Indeed as I watched quietly events at the graduation ceremony, I could not but wonder why Governor Daniel was absent from that 10th Anniversary celebration of TASUED. For me, that would have been a defining and glorious moment for Daniel who had the mission (or in Obasanjo’s perspective ‘’bought into the vision’) and actualised the establishment of the first University of Education in Nigeria. As I wondered, someone whispered to me that the university did not invite the former Governor to the ceremony.

If that was true, that was an act of great omission or a fundamental flaw on the part of the university administration. The indisputable fact of history is that Governor Daniel established the university with a great ingenuity.

Realizing that the university was located in the Ijebu-Ode axis, he appointed an Egba academic, Professor Kayode Oyesiku as foundation Vice-Chancellor.

He also appointed  a former Vice-Chancellor of Ogun State University (OSU), now Olabisi Onabanjo University, Professor Yinusa Oyeleye (who passed on to eternal glory recently) as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council.

Oyeneye’s achievements as Pro-Chancellor for eight years, when he provided the needed support for Kayode Oyesiku and later Segun Awonusi as Vice Chancellors, as well as how he successfully managed the relationship of  the new university with the Ogun State Government and her quasi-government agencies remained indelible in the annals of the university’s historical timeline. One hopes that the current Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, also a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), will continue to embark on programmes that support the university and stabilize the tenure of Prof Yemisi Obilade, the current Vice- Chancellor.

Historical records also show that since funding and the provision of needed infrastructure were challenges that new universities usually face, Governor Daniel exploited his private sector experience to reach out to his friends, many citizens of Ogun State, particularly those of the axis where the university was located and they responded warmly by donating or building structures for the university and such include the Alhaji Adegunwa complex (lecture theatres, laboratories, classrooms etc)  estimated to be worth over N1.5 billion then (maybe over N2 billion today), Alex Onabanjo  Chemical Sciences complex worth N210 million then, Sir Kesington Adebutu Vocational Workshops/laboratories complex worth N100 million, as well as structures donated by Intercontinental Bank (female hall), Skye Bank (Commercial complex), Zenith Bank (recreation park) etc.

Another important lesson from the university’s tenth anniversary is that politicians must separate education, which is about the future of children, from the vagaries of politics.

When Governor Amosun, in his decision to undo the legacies of Daniel in Ogun State, decided to scrap TASUED, it was a wrong decision especially for a university already established and running and already had 100% programme accreditation, when VCs Oyesiku and Awonusi ran the affairs and there was also good private sector infrastructures support, apart from the modern students hostel being constructed by the State Government then (up to 70% completion).

It was therefore not surprising that the workers, unions, students, House of Assembly and many prominent people opposed the decision of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led government to scrap the institution.

The opposition to the policy was ably captured when The Awujale of Ijebuland called prominent sons and daughters to a meeting and they resolved to take over the funding and running of the university from Government, if government wishes to use the unsubstantiated excuse of inadequate funding to scrap it. It took the intervention and the interpretation of the legal instrument establishing the Institution by a Court of law to get the Amosun government to eventually withdrew the unpopular decision and allowed the university to continue to run.
It is however gratifying to hear Governor Amosun promise, during the graduation ceremony, that he would complete the construction of the hostel which his predecessor in office, Otunba Gbenga Daniel started, and may even build more. It was also a now too familiar whisper loud enough in Ogun State, that even President Obasanjo, who was alleged to be unhappy with the location of the university in the Ogun East Senatorial axis,  refused to alight from his vehicle when he drove round the campus when it was established a decade ago, has now accepted reality of seeing the university functioning successfully.

It is hoped that Governor Amosun would do more for the university in this his second term so that when the history of the university, and ipso facto, that of higher education advancement in Ogun State is written in future, his name like that of former Governor Daniel would feature prominently and positively.

For Governor Daniel, he should be proud, feel happy and fulfilled that one of his educational mustard seed is rapidly growing into an old oak while Senator Ibikunle Amosun must also work harder on issues of higher education in the state.

That is when the paradox of educational relationship among the three gladiators  will dissolve into positivity.

Oliyide, who writes from steve.oliyide@yahoo.com, is a Communications Consultant/Public Analyst based in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Inconclusive complex