The Yewa-Awori people, occupying Ogun West Senatorial District of Ogun State, have once again suffered another loss as their struggle to have the new Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH) established in their area hit a brick wall yesterday.
Ogun West is the only zone in the state without a university, a situation, the people said, had contributed to the educational backwardness of the area.
There have been controversies in Ogun State over where the new university founded by the immediate past governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun should be established.
MAUSTECH came into being when Amosun upgraded Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), in Abeokuta into a degree-awarding institution; thereby relocating the polytechnic to Ipokia.
But Gov Abiodun, after his inauguration, reversed Amosun’s policy by restoring MAPOLY and constituting a committee to review the new university and Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia; the committee has since submitted its report.
Recently, the people of Abeokuta and Ogun West were at loggerheads as they competed to have MAUSTECH located in their domains.
The Yewa-Awori people said Ogun West deserves a university, being the only marginalised area in Ogun State, having been denied the opportunity to rule the state since its creation 43 years ago.
In their arguments, Ogun West traditional rulers, elders and youths, including the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, maintained that, while the Ijebus and the Egbas have different public universities in their domain, Yewa has none; begging Gov Dapo Abiodun to ensure equal distribution of the state’s wealth and locate MAUSTECH in Ipokia, especially after the polytechnic had been returned to Abeokuta.
But the people of Egba said MAUSTECH must remain in Abeokuta, notwithstanding the fact that MAPOLY, which was earlier relocated to Ogun West had been returned to the state capital.
Their agitation was that Egba, though has some federal universities, it does not have an Ogun State government-owned university; vowing that they would not allow MAUSTECH to be moved to Ogun West.
While the two zones were still expecting the recommendation of the committee as well as the decision of government over MAUSTECH, Gov Abiodun broke the news on Tuesday when he confirmed that MAUSTECH would be retained in Abeokuta.
The governor disclosed this during an interdenominational thanksgiving service for the victory he recorded at the governorship election petition tribunal, held at June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto Abeokuta.
Abiodun said he was aware that both Ogun Central and Ogun East were interested in having MAUSTECH established in their areas, but he insisted that the new university would remain in Abeokuta.
However, Gov Abiodun said he would establish a university in Ogun West in the site being developed for the reversed polytechnic in Ipokia.
The establishment of the universities, Abiodun said, would be done in phases.
During his campaign, Abiodun had promised that his administration, if elected into office, would establish a university in Ogun West Senatorial District.
He had dropped the hint while responding to the request made by the Oloke of Oke-Odan, Oba (Dr) Oluremi Fagbenro, during his ward to ward campaign in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State in January.
Abiodun was said to have acknowledged the fact that only the Ogun West had no university in the state while the remaining two districts have universities in their areas.
