“For fairness, equity, Ilobu should host Federal College of Education”

Ilobu-Asake Development Union, the socio-cultural organization of Ilobu indigenes in Osun state has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu and other stakeholders in the Ministry of Education and the state to site the proposed Federal College of Education, approved for Osun State in Ilobu.

This, it said, would be in the interest of fairness and equity.

The National President of the association, Mr Dauda Adebisi-Balogun, insisted that Ilobu remains the best location for the institution, saying the present federal government’s institutions in the state are already in Osun East and West Senatorial Districts.

According to him, the natural law of fairness and federal character automatically favour the central zone.

He said, “If we comb the federal presence in the state in combination with the state institutions, the only zone that deserves the institution is Osun Central. Obafemi Awolowo University is in Ile-Ife (Osun East), Federal Polytechnics has been sited in Ede, (Osun West) while our zone which is the largest in terms of population and voting strength has no federal institution.

“Having sorted the issue of Senatorial District, in Osun Central, we have two zones – Osogbo and Ila zone. As we speak today, Ila zone has two state institutions, Osun State Polytechnics, Iree and Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun; and a campus of Osun State University located in Okuku. But the Osogbo zone only has a campus of Osun State University and Osun State College of Nursing.

“The above analysis has shown that despite being the state capital, Osogbo zone is cheated and left to wallow perpetually in search of both federal and state presence in terms of education. To us as Ilobu sons and daughters, we believe the time is now to correct the age-long mistake.

“It must be stated that Ilobu is best for the institution considering the fact that the only two campuses in Osogbo zone are in Osogbo town. Osogbo zone consists of sub-zone of Osogbo and Irepodun/Orolu. Ilobu, being the headquarters of the other zone remains the best location for the institution.”

Adebisi-Balogun also described Ilobu as the most peaceful community in the state which has not recorded any violence or disruption of peace in any form in the last ten years.