Don’t scrap Tai Solarin varsity •HID tells Amosun

YEYE Oodua and matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty, Chief (Mrs) H.I.D. Awolowo, has implored the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun to take another look at the plan to merge the Tai Solarin University of Education with the Olabisi

Onabanjo University (OOU).

Chief (Mrs) Awolowo, in a letter to the governor entitled, ‘Appeal for another look at the Tai Solarin University of Education/Olabisi Onabanjo merger plan,’ advised that the two universities should not be merged.

The two institutions, according to Chief (Mrs) Awolowo, had contributed immensely to the educational advancement of Ogun State and Nigeria in general, adding that “it appears to me that what seems to be an easy way out may actually destroy the two schools.

“The Tai Solarin University of Education is a pride to the memory of an illustrious son of this state, the late Dr Tai Solarin, and a worthy legacy which has done so well within so short time. Children in Ogun State, and indeed children from other states have been able to benefit from the qualitative education in Tai Solarin University of Education. This university has contributed immensely to the educational advancement in Ogun State and Nigeria. Therefore, it is my wish TASUED should not be merged,” Chief (Mrs) Awolowo said.

READ FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER:

His Excellency,
Senator Ibikunle Amosun,
The Executive
Governor of Ogun State,
Oke-Imosan,
Abeokuta.

ON behalf of the Awolowo family, I write to once again congratulate you on the unique opportunity Almighty God has given you to steer the ship of Ogun State. May He grant you divine wisdom to take the right decisions at all times for the good of Ogun State. It is my desire that young leaders of our people in the present generation walk in the footprints of past leaders who had led our people selflessly, with wisdom and determination to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

I recall with fond memories the legacies of job creation, good roads, potable water supply, housing, and most especially, qualitative education which my late husband, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his devoted lieutenants left behind for our people. It is my desire that leaders nowadays will work hard to sustain the legacies.

I have been following the story of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) in Ijagun, Ijebu Ode from the beginning. The management and Governing Council were with me a few times to seek my counsel and blessing on the progress of the university, and I was even at the N500 million endowment the young university organised around 2006 to seek money for development projects. I was quite happy to see the zeal for excellence which the management, staff and students showed. I am told that the institution now ranks among the best universities in Nigeria today, and I am not surprised.

As you know, the late Chief Bisi Onabanjo worked very hard to maintain the good record of education in Ogun State with the founding and development of higher institutions in the state. Chief Segun Osoba and other leaders have also done their best to build on the record. It is always heart-warming to hear or see these legacies doing well. Education is the best legacy that can be passed to coming generations of Nigerians, therefore no amount spent on education is wasted or too much. Furthermore, the challenges which global economic trends pose should not be allowed to deter us from the march towards excellence.

The Tai Solarin University of Education is a pride to the memory of an illustrious son of this state, the late Dr Tai Solarin, and a worthy legacy which has done so well within so short a time. Children in Ogun State, and indeed children from other states, have been able to benefit from the qualitative education in Tai Solarin University of
Education. This university has contributed immensely to educational advancement in Ogun State and Nigeria.

It is in this light that I am imploring you to take another look at the plan to merge the university with Olabisi Onabanjo University. It appears to me that what seems to be an easy way out may actually destroy the two schools. It is my wish that TASUED should not be merged.

May God grant you the courage, humility and wisdom to continue to steer the ship of Ogun State.