Tertiary Institutions In The State Of Osun; The Rechristening And The Issues.

Prior to taking on issues and matters hovering around the decision of the State Government Of Osun to rechristen the existing tertiary Institutions in the State, i will like to crave your indulgence to list the new nomenclatures of the existing higher citadel of learning in The State Of Osun, and their 'formerly known as' nomenclatures.

It is no longer news to the people of the State Of Osun and its environs that on Wednesday 9, March 2016, precisely at the 4th & 5th convocation ceremony of the Bola Ige University, Osun State formerly known as University Of Osun, the Executive Governor of the State Of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola rechristened the main campus of the Osun State University after the first Governor of the Old Oyo State and former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige of lasting and blessed memories, while other campuses of the University as spread across five Local Government Areas of the State also got new nomenclatures as listed below.

The College of Law at Ifetedo was rechristened as Kayode Esho College of Law.

The College of Social Sciences and Management in Okuku was rechristened as Olagunsoye Oyinlola College of Social Sciences.

The College of Agriculture in Ejigbo was rechristened as Isiaka Adeleke College of Agriculture.

The College of Education in Ipetu Ijesa was rechristened as Ezekiah Oluwasanmi College of Education.

The College of Humanities and Culture, Ikire, was rechristened as Eniola Atanda College of Humanities and Culture.

Other tertiary Institutions that was rechristened are The Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, after the former minister of Internal Affairs, Chief Sunday Afolabi and the Osun State College of Technology was rechristened after Chief Bisi Akande, former Governor of Osun State.

In order to avoid an ambiguous pen-down, it is of a great importance to take on the issues as raised by concerned persons or groups of people but with my camera focus on the Students bodies, both in the State and at the National level.


Firstly, it was reported that the Executive Governor of the State never got the approval of the State House Of Assembly before embarking on his journey to change the names of the notable University which was built by his predecessor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Secondly, some are of the opinion that the State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola neither consulted the Council Chiefs, nor did he got their support before taking the decision which they consider to be tyrannical, unethical and indeed undemocratic.

Thirdly, it was also said that the State Governor failed to consult the Students' Union Executives and leaders of the University before taking his decision, a decision they perceived to be outlandish, self aggrandising, and uncourteous.

Indeed, not only is it interesting to note that Students organisations in the State Of Osun deemed it fit to engage the visitor to their institutions via printed correspondences, demanding answers to their prayers and also with the position that the State Government Of Osun retract its decision to rechristen their higher citadel of learning, else the State Government should expect a showdown and possibly anarchy.

But it is also devastating and disappointing that there is a misplaced priority, an encroachment of jurisdiction, an abuse of privileges and right of assembly and association by these Students who failed to seek discussions on issues that obviously needs the rescue of the Government of the day.

Perhaps, it is evident that the Students organizations lacks the knowledge that the mentioned persons or group of people are neither placed above the State Government nor is the State Governor answerable to them particularly on taking decisions on matters that constitutionally reside in his office. However, it is noteworthy that the State House Of Assembly reserves the constitutional right to demand for a retraction of the decision, if the State Governor had failed to follow due process in the renaming of the tertiary Institutions In The State Of Osun.

It is in my opinion that concerned persons or group of people set their priorities aright, distant themselves from creating unnecessary disturbances, engage in constructive criticism and above all direct the camera focus of the State Government on issues that demands improvements both in their institutions and in the State Ministry of Education, as the change of names does not in anyway affect the academic standard and the internally generated revenues of the institutions nor does it affect the issued certificate and those yet to be issued.

Sulaiman Kazeem
sulaimanadeshina@yahoo.com