A 100-year-old social group, Egbe Atunluse Ile-Ijesa, said 400 hectares of land had been secured for the establishment of a university by the Deeper Christian Life Ministry in Ilesa, Osun State.
The society, founded in 1922, established the Ilesa Grammar School in 1934 and Obokun High School in 1954, both in Ilesa.
The collaboration with the Church on the University project was announced by ex-Osun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof Yemi Kayode-Adedeji, at the unveiling of the Centenary Anniversary and inauguration of its committee and sub-committees in Ilesa on Saturday.
Speaking further, the chairman of the group, Prof Adeniyi Olu-Obi, said the society had approached the Church to establish the university because it could not singlehandedly fund the project.
He said, “Our Egbe intentionally went to look for Deeper Life for the establishment of the University. We don’t have money to fund a university. To start a project like that, it costs a lot of money.
“The former president (Prof. Kayode-Adedeji) established a committee. And we have made a lot of effort. We can’t give a precise date (of take off) until people move on to the land, but the Egbe has facilitated payment of compensation to land owners. The Osun State Ministry of Land handled the payment and we witnessed the payment.”
Tracing the history of the establishment of the group to year 1922, Prof. Olu-Obi, said ‘the Egbe,’ as it is fondly called, had been committed to the welfare and wellbeing of Ijesas over the years.
He then charged members to show more commitment to the new evolution of development being championed by various socio-cultural groups in Ijesaland.
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