₦airaland Forum

By Oluwajuwonlo Afolabi

The announced decision of Oyo State government to open multi-campus for Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso has sparked a tough race among towns in the State.

As Soun of Ogbomoso disagrees with the State governor, Seyi Makinde, the people of Iseyin, Saki, Oyo, and Okeho have revved a cheers of praise and citations of surplus lands in their areas as they jostle for a location of a satellite campus of LAUTECH in their town.

This new phase of happening in the life of the State has begun to zero-in an identity of origin and township within the State; thus calling for outlining facts from its hardcore shell to appropriate the rising perspectives.

Engr. Seyi Makinde has argued that balkanizing LAUTECH would be a process to open-up the economy of the State and develop the agrarian communities while making the institution a better citadel of learning and research. The argument is centered on realizing economic prosperity of the State through model of satellite campuses.

Has it worked before in the State? The response is found in the case of Polytechnic of Ibadan which was broken into satellite campuses with one at Oke-Ogun. In later years, after folds of strikes, funding difficulty and administrative hitches, the government had to implement autonomy for each campus to maintain a balance in the institution's mode of operation. One thing is obvious, the success of models of tertiary education is situated on the funding level and management's efficiency. It's essential to disclose that Oyo State has had it rough with funding education overtime.

The Makinde-led administration has turned a new curve though, with the increase of the education budget to 21% for 2021. However, it's expedient to contextualize the fact that, the State has had to largely borrow to operate and execute projects apart from those contracted on Private Public Partnership (PPP). The State had to borrow N1billion as counterpart funds in accessing the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds while also on the verge of borrowing a N100 billion to fund infrastructure. The fact, Oyo State has flipped to a borrowing-centric governance which makes it hard to finance new campuses instead of focusing on the already existing institutions in the State.

Ogbomoso is a city in Oyo State, South-Western part of Nigeria that houses 5 faculties out of 7 in LAUTECH with 2 others in Osogbo, Osun State. The sole ownership of the University now given to Oyo State has stripped the State of the Teaching Hospital in Osun. This is linked to the stance of Oyo State government through its Attorney General, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, SAN, that, repealing LAUTECH Law is to empower the University to be multi-campus; citing the location of faculties and institutes on the new campuses. A sharp unraveling of fact to that is, Ogbomoso has a teaching hospital solely for LAUTECH, thus, ceding the teaching hospital in Osogbo to Osun State government does not decapitate the University.

Pro multi-campus arguments for LAUTECH have been focused on students' enrollment, and widening admission chances for indigenes of Oyo State. Dr. Saheed Ige, airing this view on a popular radio station in Ibadan, Fresh Fm (105.9), on 27 December, 2020 posited that, the multi-campus decision would increase the chances of admission for the State's indigenes; premising his points on the ranking of Oyo State as the first in number of applications to Universities through Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Although, Oyo State topped the chart in 2020, no institutions in the State made a top 4 of the most sought after Universities in Nigeria. The quarts of UNILORIN, ABU, UNILAG, BUK topped with 103,582, 82,984, 74,800, and 70,376 respectively for the number of applicants.

This shows only a higher interest in the level of education in the indigenes of the State, who may possibly not reside in the State, and may decide to study or not outside the State based on their level of career interest and availability. It's therefore faulty to adjudge that multi-campus is synonymous to opening admission chances for indigenes, as in such parameters, merit is displaced- a catalytic identity of failure.

LAUTECH has still not recovered from the heals of the lingered industrial strike actions that rendered students academic progress delayed, academic calendar downturned, and operations chaotic in 2018 owing to non-payment of salaries, arrears for workers and lack of funds to run the University. It thus appears questionable, the decision to open-up satellite campuses in the State other than strive to attain a self-funding status for the institution.

However, political permutations and calculations are already beginning to heat polity as 2023 draws close even for the State. Political insinuations are surreptitiously hovering on the decision to decide the future of the University.

The rising debate of whether LAUTECH should operate humanities courses and law is as well gaining tractions, as political deciders are making steps. It suffices to say that a University of technology should operate by focus and specialization towards becoming a force to reckon with. The 'all-way-is-the-way' approach will only drag the footing of the proclaimed leading University of technology in country. The National University Commission (NUC) is expected to remain active in matters of accreditation in such a case.

As the balkanization of LAUTECH unfolds a scene of Ogbomoso versus Ibarapa, Seyi Makinde versus Soun of Ogbomoso, merit versus indigenes' favouritism, one would like to digest into understanding, the saying of Rubin Zemon that, "the hybridization of cultures is one among diverse processes... That affect our paradigm of" us" and "the others,"

It is believed that instead of breaking 6 into a half-dozen, LAUTECH should be left to operate as one without multi-campus, while progressively funding, improving, and managing the institutions rather than weaponizing a citadel of learning to a political machinery. The University's curriculum should be revised to accommodate 21st century courses while making it a technology-driven and student-focused institution.

Oluwajuwonlo AFOLABI,

An adage says, "a child that vows not to let the mother sleep will likewise lose sleep." This is beginning to be a trigger for the mobilization of the masses against police brutality, extortion, penchant criminal framing, killing and dehumanizing of youths by officers of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS in Nigeria.

The mobilization and campaign have garnered momentum to becoming a top trend in the UK, US, and global coverage with the hashtag, "EndSARS, EndSARSnow, EndSARSprotest sparking in Nigeria to the world.

With little local mainstream media coverage of the protest across the country, the youths have demonstrated a worthy ingenuity by wielding power of unity, mobilization and uniquely technology; using social media to record the excesses of the uniformed men turned criminals, even murderers and majorly to harmonize voices to say a NO to the sqaud's reform but demand a spontaneous disband. The hashtag continues to gain millions of tweets, impressions and importantly attention globally, making all to join in unison to reject the operation of SARS in Nigeria.

The ban of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad and other tactical squads by the Inspector General of Police from stop and search and patrols at the hill of social media pressure and mass anger to the sheer demonstration of brute forces, shooting of unarmed citizens, and coordinated attacks of youths has gone beyond breaking the camel's back, to turning the camel against its rider who controls. Nigerians continue to reject the gross indiscipline and evils perpetrated by men of Nigeria Police Force, NPF, SARS especially.

The EndSARS campaign started in 2016 but before then, cases of alleged misconduct, road-mounting for money, extortion and other illicit practices have wrapped the NPF, generating a peoples' hostility to the men of the Force; due to the turn of the defenders to oppressors of the people. With the campaign gaining weight on social media then, the government promised to intervene and make changes, but you know just like the every 4-year promise of giving Nigerians unfailed power supply, they failed at effecting a meaningful change in the Force.

In 2018, SARS was changed to FSARS, Federal Anti-Robbery Squad. It's however pathetic that the reformation affected only the name as the men of the Squad grew in muscle and punched Nigerian youths with full forces even taking away their last breaths if they failed to settle with a mobile fund transfer or cryptocurrency- a show of shame. Does such a unit still need to continue operations?

SARS is a unit of the NPF, majorly to work on intelligence reports to strike out crimes by tramping on criminals, syndicate and their rings in order to give peace to the people, making the society a safe place to work and live. But the present reality emanating from the streets of actions from men of the Force makes one really doubt a commitment to such responsibility; rather, men of NPF see every peaceful gathering for protest as a threat to them, tear-gassing, maiming, shooting, and arresting peaceful protesters at their exercise of constitutionally recognized rights. How do you justify using brute forces on peaceful citizens praying for liberty from your oppression? The mass-move is not only commanding global attention but shaping a route to liberty.

SARS Officers mostly operate in mufti, a norm that endangers the people, making it difficult for them to distinguish a police officer from a criminal. What do you call a person who forces you to transfer money to his account at a gun point? The answer lies in the strength of the campaign against police terror, demanding SARS disbanded, NOW.

A mass mobilization of people is a serious pointer to an issue. In 2015, Nigerian en masse protested against bad governance, terrorism, kidnapping and economic unrest. However, in 2020, despite the hardship in the country, the police extortion and maltreatment tops the pains of Nigerians, forcing them to protest against it- a demonstration of how tough, vile and fire-shooting the SARS operations have been for the masses. Regardless of attempts to break the people, the protesters are waxing stronger whether in LAGOS, BENIN, ABUJA, LONDON OR AMERICA, the messages remain "EndSARS, EndpoliceBrutality, Now."

Why not a reform of SARS again, but a disband? A reform of the SARS in 2018 effected a change of name, a stop of their patrols and stop and search of which within blink of eye, their men were back on the roads running after youths and milking them off as usual. But, this tactic continues to remain the same yearly; same in 2017, 2018, 2019 and now 2020- an effective reform of the Force in 4-year span if truly functional should be visible to the world now, rather the reverse is the case. If you bought a dog to secure your house and it killed your children, one after the other, do you repaint the dog from brown to black as reformation?

The menace of SARS is a direct result of the institutional failure rocking the NPF. The failure houses police officers collecting tokens at every crossroads, pocketing bribes at every nooks and crannies. The NPF needs a wholistic reconfiguration with the ban of SARS.

The inefficiency of the NPF embodies the reckless use of weapons against armless citizens, unrecognized dresses and danger-ridden operations of officers. A direct solution to the menace would be ensuring that all officers are dressed in uniform, names boldly tagged, with their body cameras on; a suggestion which has been available for long time to no implementation.

In this dispensation, reforming the Force should embody merging units, transparent recruitment, humane funding, and a strategic orientation of officers on civility, technology, modernization, social media, human interaction and communication. The present structure reeks of odour forcing life out of youthful souls in the country.

Godwin Obaseki's re-election as the Governor of Edo State has become the talk of the nation with People's Democratic Party, PDP wilding about the liveliness of Nigeria's democracy at the instance of the conducted gubernatorial election, the people of Edo jubilating on the victory of the Governor, while Ize Iyamu and All Progressives Congress, APC continue to study the results to decide next line of action.

Going by the heavy congratulatory messages trooping to Edo for Governor Obaseki, one can sense the insinuations forming the basis that by the results of the poll and open celebration commenced by PDP, that the reactionary colouration by the party is that, 'Nigeria' s democracy is not in danger.' A ray of this is ascertained by the messages such as that of Atiku Abubakar, a former Presidential Candidate of PDP, saying, "There's a new dawn in Edo State, and the hard-work victory of Governor Obaseki is not just a victory, but a declaration of Independence from anti-democratic forces of godfatherism and militarism." In short, democracy is no longer in danger, at least, by this victory.

The jubilations by the people of Edo State and beyond, the drums of long-live our dear democracy and spoken activation of the gallantry of the Edo people is a testament to the reality of Jean Jacques Rousseau's socio-philisophical concept of 'common will' which encapsulates that human beings are able to function with one common agenda shared amidst the people and the ruling class; influencing the peoples' thoughts around a more liberal concept of governing, in this case, the people of Edo State freely choosing their Governor for the next four years.

However, it should be pointed out without ado that PDP remains as opposition party at the federal level in Nigeria and some states in the federation, and that democracy by practice is not always only out of danger when it favours them; the umbrella party should remember that politics is premised on either winning or loosing as people are at the helm of affairs in electing whom to offer the mantle of administration as displayed in the Edo poll. It suffices to ask PDP if democracy would have been in danger if APC or any other party of substance had emerged as the winner of the Edo election, perhaps by that, the true colour of the democary liveliness as declared by PDP would have been known.

The tenets of the opposition parties in a democracy is to hold the ruling government accountable; PDP has been docile on this, maybe before their awakening to Edo election; but has majorly banked on name calling, and trumpet blowing when the breeze of election blows in their favour. The opposition parties are responsible for forming a credible alternative for the people. A result-oriented opposition is built on building hope for the masses and not counting the numbers of misrule or coming to life only when elections are won.

One can't but pay attention to the icing on the cake of Obaseki's emergence at the just concluded poll which has been largely described by assenting views and opinions as a defeat of godfatherism; not only in Edo politics but in Nigeria at large. Indeed, power belongs to the people! Obaseki's victory has sent a viral signal to the ministry of the godfathers to retire themselves in Nigeria's politics or be gifted mass retirement as exhibited by the good people of Edo; the people have not only actualized but are also dancing to the popular saying, "Edo no be Lagos."

If there's a hot ironed message passed to godfathers and political jobbers by the success of Obaseki, it is that, the masses are angered by the anti-people policies being hurled on Nigerians daily by the Buhari-led administration in the country, and that the people have discontinued to give APC the usual popular support; this in a way shapes and tensions the political future and camp of APC in Ondo and 'Bourdillon' cum 2023. Albeit, APC has no reason to be tensioned if truly they believe the people are on their side, if not, here's a reminder that "democratic principle is that the will of the majority will always prevail, and that" ll always be."

Now that Nigeria's democracy is not in danger, it's safe to believe that the coming gubernatorial election in Ondo State will also be smooth, fair, and credible; and that PDP will also be strong to commend the liveliness of democracy even if the table turns against them. Nevertheless, whether the table turns or not, the people of Ondo, come October 10, 2020 shall decide who govern them in favour of Nigeria's dear democracy.

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Hit me up for your Post Utme Registration starting Monday 7 September- 20 October.

Send a dm to get temporary accommodation on campus (male and female) when you come for Post Utme.



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Oluwajuwonlo Afolabi, Ibadan

Engr. Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State has ordered for the demolition of stalls at the popular auto-market 'Gate', in Agodi, Ibadan. The Governor was present for the execution of the order at the earlier time of today.

The demolition was in connection with the declaration of the Governor that road-side stalls and trading will not be permitted in the state; as he was committed to putting safety of lives and property first.

Traders lamented the annihilation of their stalls which they described as shocking and unexpected, a trader while reacting to the leveling of the stalls said the decision was ill-timed and it had taken away their means of livelihood.

The razing of the road-side stalls came days after Hon. Oyeleke Idowu, Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources announced that a time had come for turning around the badly-rated condition of environment in the state ; he made this disclosure while touring areas like Iwo-Road in Ibadan, the capital of the state to monitor the state-wide environmental sanitization last week, he warned the residents that defaulters of the environmental orders will not be tolerated.

Recently, comments have been gaining momentum on the worsened maintenance of roads and shabby disposals of waste which has taken over the city of Ibadan under the Makinde-led administration.

Afolabi Oluwajuwonlo

The Executive Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde has said that the biggest problem his administration has had is insecurity. He said this while addressing the caretaker chairpersons across the local government and local council development areas in the State on Wednesday 26, 2020 at the State Secretariat.

The Governor directed all caretaker chairpersons in the 33 local government and LCDAs to constitute security committee at their respective local government without delay.

In efforts to assure that insecurity is widely tackled in the State, the Governor said money would be approved and LGs and LCDAs would be allowed to spend on improving security.

In his appreciation address, Hon. Mudashiru Balogun, speaking on behalf of Okeogun zone of the State thanked the Governor for his insightful administration of the State and magnanimity to extend the stay of the caretaker chairpersons in office.

Mr. Babatunde, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters charged all caretaker chairpersons to dutifully perform their responsibilities and unite in combating insecurity in the State.

"We need to take advantage of technology like the case of other parts of the world. We cannot shut down all schools when we have other means to teach our students. We cannot be held down by COVID-19, we have to deploy all e-platforms to keep our universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other schools open- We have to create virtual learning." These were the words of Nigeria Education Minister, Mallam Adamu Adamu in March, 2020 when he gave a directive mandating all institutions to switch to e-learning. One would think that the directive was not only timely but also the way to go. Five months after the directive, has Nigeria really taken advantage of technology for education, has Nigeria not really been held down by COVID-19, and has Nigeria created the virtual learning?

Looking closely into the Nigerian government's efforts to prevent the education system from slipping to comatose due to the ongoing pandemic, can one really rate the efforts so far as Messiah's deeds? On April 5, 2020, the Nigerian government through Federal Ministry of Education announced the launching of free e-learning portals for all students in primary and secondary schools after the closure of schools. Apart from the nationwide announcement, further activities have not shown the existential involvement of machineries or systems created to check and assess whether the created portals have been functional and serving their purposes or not. Can one say the free e-learning portals ended at announcement stage? A careful look into the situations of primary and secondary school students across the country shows that the portals are not only underutilized but also not serving the purposes for which they were created. Students' enrollment, learning activities and engagement have been poor. Lack of digital devices, improper regulations of the system, poor information circulation, digital divide have all contributed to the ineffectiveness of the created e-learning portals. The Federal Ministry of Education could give data on the registered number of users on the portals so far, active users and engagement statistics to prove this standpoint otherwise, if any.

The collapse of Nigeria's education system as infiltrated by COVID-19 pandemic has not only hit hard on the students of primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, but has also plunged tertiary institutions into indefinite closure. FG in March 2020 gave a directive on school closure due to breakout of COVID-19 in the country. A total of 65 universities, 132 polytechnics, and 152 colleges of education have since then be shut down. Can this alone be described as the cause of the collapse? Of course not. After the closure, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared nationwide strike over IPPIS (Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System), non-implementation of agreement, and poor condition of universities in Nigeria. Since March till this moment, the Union is still on with the industrial strike action. Can ASUU be entirely blamed for this further collapse of the system as caused by indefinite strike? Of course, no. Time and records have shown that the only industrial action recognized by the Nigerian government is strike action. However, one should be concerned to ask for the roles that this Union has played in rescuing the country's education system from total collapse as the pandemic ravages. Has ASUU really done anything?

In June 2020, the Minister for Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, had a meeting with the Vice Chancellors, Provosts, and Rectors of Nigerian tertiary institutions. He urged all institutions to switch to electronic learning. This could be said to correlate with his earlier directive on the said subject. However, ASUU in a document titled "The Directive by the Minister of Education That Tertiary Institutions Should Resume the Session Through Online Teaching" issued by the University of Ibadan (UI) Publicity Committee, insisted that virtual learning was impossible in Nigeria's institutions. Just like that? A personal interaction I had with the Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka in June 2020 confirmed the ASUU's standpoint on the supposed impossibility to use e-learning in Nigeria. The VC asked if I had a laptop. I answered "no." He asked for how many students had laptops in my class. I said about 25 out of 198. He later said e-learning was not possible at the moment. That the lack of devices, structures, on-going strike actions and government's non-readiness all culminated to the impossibility.

For over five months, education system has been on a stoppage. The e-learning has only been at announcement stage. No structure is in place to make sure that millions of Nigerian students access quality education. This goes to expose the sad reality of education in Nigeria. I learnt in a course I had in drama techniques that even if you don't have the required materials to carry out a solution, you can always improvise. FG and ASUU never improvised. Obviously, they are eagerly waiting for the perfect time which may never come. Only few private institutions in Nigeria keyed on the new normal and switched to e-learning for academic activities: teaching-learning, examinations and convocation. Even though there were reportedly cases of technical complexities. Those complexities were addressed and turned around to salvage the learning process. That technical advancement to adequately use e-learning couldn't have come if they had decided to stay put and wait for the return to physical learning.

As ASUU goes about struggling for IPPIS or non-IPPIS, one could only wonder why no model or structure to remedy this unsavoury condition of educational fall has not been presented. The government does not act as if concerned about the continuous paucity of education in the country. One could only stay amazed that the government, academic and non-academic unions, legion of academia and even students are comfortable with the collapse of education system in Nigeria. History will never forget!

While Nigeria (Africa) remains on educational lockdown, Europe has moved on with online learning via, (The School of Future, Today), Australasia with 80% of households with internet has moved on with e-learning, America has moved on with e-learning. Benjamin Franklin says, "An investment in knowledge, yields the best interest." While other countries invest in education and are mindful of getting best interests, the Nigeria's case is not so. In Nigeria's context, the point is not about bounty or no bounty interest. The point is, can Nigeria expect any interest from education? The sudden collapse and on-going comatose of Nigerian education system makes one think otherwise. Nevertheless, history will never forget that in 2020, Nigeria's education system collapsed.

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This is an all in one thread. Mrphysics, well done. I wish you safe stay and successful completion of your program.