LASUED Main Campus: Concerned Epe Students Write Sanwo-Olu

By Kaka Babatunde

• LASUED Main Campus: Concerned Epe Students Write Sanwo-Olu

EKO HOT BLOG reports that a group of concerned students from Epe have written the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reconsider the siting of the main campus of the Lagos State University of Education, LASUED, at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, AOCOED, Otto-Ijanikin.

This online media platform recalls that the House of Assembly, on 29th December 2021, had recommended AOCOED to the Lagos State Governor.

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In a letter, dated 3rd January 2022, sighted by EKO HOT BLOG. the group raised several issues which didn’t go down well with them.

The open letter, titled, AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, MR BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE, reads:

“OUR ISSUE: WHICH OF THE TWO COLLEGES (MOCPED OR AOCOED) SHOULD HOST THE MAIN CAMPUS OF THE PROPOSED LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION (LASUED)?

“We have previewed the submission of the House Committee on the transmutation project of the Colleges of Education in Lagos State into a degree-awarding university. We have also previewed their suggestion of AOCOED as the main campus of the married colleges. We are equally not unaware of the many lobbying and politicking regarding the exercise, which should be guided by meritorious considerations.

“Silence, sometimes, as they say, is golden. But not on an occasion such as this when a determination is to be made on the appropriate main campus location for the new university of education.

“It is against the above backdrop that Concerned Students in Epe Division have decided after several decisional considerations to lend our voice to the subject matter by making the following depositions:

1. Principle of Natural Justice: The appreciation of this principle is very critical to the development and equitable distribution of democratic dividends by democratic governments to the governs.

“Since time immemorial, the Epe Division of Lagos State has been a victim of marginalization by the government. Yet, this has not in any way affected Epe loyalty to the state government, as evidenced here below:

I. There is no single government-initiated factory or agency for employment opportunities in Epe town except Local Governments and MOCPED

II. Out of the 23 commissioners in Lagos State, Epe has none except two Special Advisers
III. The two governors from the Epe division in persons of Baba Otedola and Mr Akiwunmi Ambode were denied a longer period in office and second term in office respectively.

“And this has not by any means stopped Epe people from aligning with the government and supporting our great party, APC.

IV. During the last governorship election, a total vote of 35,904 was pulled from Epe against the 30,904 votes from Ojo axis, putting together a piece of evidence that Epe despite the population EPE always at any general elections always vote massively the ruling party APC.

V. Epe division is currently experiencing very low functional activities from the present administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

2. Democratization of Lagos Institutions: Among all the five Divisions of Lagos State, only Epe does not have a university that is domiciled therein. Lagos, Ikeja, Badagry and Ikorodu already have at least one. Should Epe be the house of annexes?

3. Decongesting Lagos Traffic: If the Lagos State government is truly sincere about finding a lasting solution to the traffic situation in Lagos State, locating LASUED main campus at Ijanikin will be antithetical to that commitment. Here, we call your attention to the fact that LASU is a few kilometres away from AOCOED.

4. Landmass Issue: It is no gainsaying that it will be more economical and prudent for a university’s main campus to be situated on dry land, rather than on a swampy one; We call your attention to the fact that MOCPED is sited on dryland and has massive future expansion opportunities.

5. Proximity of the Two Colleges: We also want your excellency to be aware that MOCPED has ‘logistical’ locational advantages over AOCOED. Besides, MOCPED rates are better than AOCOED on proximity and accessibility to potential students even outside the state.

Our Submission and Prayers

“Considering the points articulated above, MOCPED has an overwhelming comparative advantage over AOCOED as the main campus of LASUED.

“We pray that your Excellency, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, meritoriously looks into the issue so that the university will get started on the foundation that underpins the culture that defines ivory towers.

“To this effect, we pray that the main campus of LASUED is MOCPED.”

See photos of the placards during the protest:

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