Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has indicated his willingness to engage with students and alumni protesting the renaming of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, to Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic.
The governor stated yesterday said he’s open to dialogue and would yield to a ‘superior argument’ if presented, emphasising that policy decisions should be based on merit rather than emotional attachment.
Makinde’s comments came during the official inauguration of Governing Boards for five state-owned tertiary institutions at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office.
READ ALSO: Makinde urges PDP members to stay united: “Don’t abandon the house over a leaking roof”
The recent renaming, announced in June to honor former governor Omololu Olunloyo, who was also the institution’s first Rector, has sparked considerable backlash from the academic community.
Acknowledging the strong sentiments tied to the institution’s original name, Makinde referenced a past debate over the name of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).
He recalled how a ‘superior argument’ from the alumni led to the retention of ‘technology’ in LAUTECH’s name despite the university expanding its course offerings.
This, he suggested, demonstrates his administration’s receptiveness to logical persuasion.
“If you have any superior arguments apart from sentiment,” Makinde challenged protesters, “then we will listen to you and we will even apologise to you.”
He urged students to channel their grievances through appropriate means, cautioning against disruptive protests.
“When you protest openly and you disturb others from going about their lawful activities, you need to realise that where your freedom stops is where the freedom of others starts.”
The governor stressed that his primary concern remains the quality of graduates produced by the institutions and pledged his commitment to bolstering their infrastructure and providing adequate resources, both financial and human.
He posed a hypothetical question to the protesters: if The Polytechnic, Ibadan were to be upgraded to a university in the future, would they still insist on retaining “Polytechnic” in its name?
Beyond the name change controversy, Makinde also addressed the long-standing issue of subventions to state tertiary institutions, acknowledging that many are “struggling with their subventions.”
He recounted his administration’s shift from a fractional subvention payment to 100% since taking office, an action that significantly increased state expenses, further compounded by increases in the minimum wage from N18,000 to N30,000, and more recently, to N80,000.
He mentioned making special arrangements for the College of Education, Lanlate, to ensure salary payments in recent months.
Makinde assured the newly inaugurated boards and the institutions that his government would engage with them in the coming days and weeks to resolve these funding challenges, despite the state’s limited resources.
During the event, Makinde inaugurated the governing boards for five state-owned tertiary institutions: The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki (now renamed Michael Koleoso Polytechnic, Saki, with its renaming officially signed into law at the ceremony); Oyo State College of Agriculture, Igboora; Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate; and Oyo State College of Health Science & Technology, Ibadan.
Prof. Lanre Nassar was inaugurated as Chairman for The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Rt. Hon. Babatunde Olaniyan (Akoro) for Oyo State College of Health Science and Technology; Comrade Olusegun Oyewumi for Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate; Dr. Amusan Damilare Gideon for Oyo State College of Agriculture, Igboora; and Dr. Bisi Ojebola for The Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki. Other council members were also sworn in.
READ ALSO: Oyo APC slams Makinde over N63.5bn Agodi govt House renovation plan
The governor highlighted his administration’s success in increasing the number of state-owned universities from “one and a half” in 2019 to three currently, underscoring the government’s dedication to maintaining high academic standards.
He also lauded Professor Ayodeji Omole, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), and his team for their pivotal role in the positive transformation of the state’s tertiary education sector.
