On 8th August 2017, Governor Obaseki announced that he was temporarily closing down the College of Agriculture, Iguoriaki, for a 3 month period. He promised to restructure and revamp the college to a world class institution. He set himself a time frame.
Nine months later on 25th May, 2018, Governor Obaseki dispatched SACK letters to all the staff, academic and non-academic, reason been that their services were no longer required even though the students were just two weeks away from their final examinations.
He employed the services of security agencies to chase everybody from the vicinity of the school. Their sack was backdated to January 31st 2018. The governor behaved Ignobly!
In a most brazen, uncreative and in-your-face manner, the governor manufactured alternative facts about paying off the staff and sending students on internship with Presco, Okomu and even Leventis! ( Leventis has been comatose for decades).
In a lecture he delivered at the university of Ibadan alumni association 2018 alumni lecture, TECHNICAL & VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AS IMPERATIVE FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT , Governor Obaseki boasted about “restructuring the curriculum, rebuilding the institution and upgrading the facilities.”
He talked about recruiting truly qualified faculty for the new three campuses of the College of Agriculture in Iguoriaki (Edo South), Uromi (Edo Central) and Agenebode (Edo North). It’s been two years since the “temporary” order of close down, College of Agriculture, Iguoriaki is worse-off today than it was in 2017. It is immersed in multiple court cases at the industrial court!
The school farms and poultry farms have been looted. Heavy machinery like generator sets, vehicles, tractors etc vandalized. Laboratories and its equipments, administration buildings and student files, computer rooms with its computer systems, libraries and hostels vandalized allowed to rot! The grounds have been overrun by weed, tall grasses, bats, termites and even herdsmen who now use the offices as kitchens and toilets. The college is in a sorry state !
It is obvious the government had no education policy in place especially as it affects the college of agriculture, Iguoriaki. The knee jerk reaction that led to its closure has affected the lives of many students who are now in educational limbo! Their educational pursuit abruptly terminated. We hear a lot of sound bites from government but no motion or action. It’s activities are propelled by propaganda, half truths and embellishment!
We call on the state government to as a matter of urgency retrace its steps and stop been economical with facts regarding the status of college of agriculture, Iguoriaki and the other campuses!
Governor Obaseki is exhibiting a pattern that is strange to governance and he must be stopped.
A government cannot make thousand of promises but deliver same number of excuses!
Edo people deserve more! Edo deserve better!!
Signed
Chris Osa Nehikhare
SPS PDP EDO STATE
