• 70 years after missing premier academy, Egba welcome specialised institution to Abeokuta
From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Seventy years ago, the Egba of Abeokuta, Ogun State, missed a rare opportunity. It was the establishment of Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, originally billed for Abeokuta.
But the inability of the various towns making up Egbaland to relinquish their lands, made the then colonial masters move the university to Ibadan. Egba rued the monumental miss.
They refused to forget that bitter experience. Therefore, it would not be out of place to express their delight as a specialised university finally berthed in their domain. That succinctly explained the jubilation that greeted the approval of Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences.
Though another federal university, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUAAB), is on ground already, the birth of a medical university still elicited great excitement and joy from the nook and cranny of Egbaland.
In the beginning…
The Bill for the university was first introduced at the National Assembly by Senator Lanre Tejuosho. He represented Ogun Central between 2015 and 2019. He mobilised his colleagues to support the Bill at the NASS, while at the same time wooing prominent Egba sons and daughters to wield their influences to ensure its passage.
One major bargaining chip used to curry support by Tejuosho was the top-notch facilities at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta. It is being tipped to become the teaching hospital, of the proposed medical university.
Meanwhile, Tejuosho’s successor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, immediately he go to the National Assembly in 2019, took up the gauntlet and moved on with the bill. The former governor convinced his kinsmen to make a large expanse of land available for the university.
At the end, 350 hectares of land were made available to serve as the permanent site of the university. This is situated along Obafe-Ajebo Road in Obafemi-Owode Local Government.
President, Egba Economic Summit (EES), Sina Luwoye, noted that the university was one of the cardinal objectives of the agenda the summit has been working assiduously on. He hailed Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, for his doggedness in achieving the feat:
“Once again, the sun has shone upon Egbaland 70 years after we missed the golden opportunity to host the first university in the sub-Saharan Africa, that is the University of Ibadan.
“To the glory of God and in recognition of the leadership and astuteness of our Kabiyesi, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, we want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for graciously approving the siting of the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences in the heart of Egbaland for the people of Ogun State and western Nigeria.
“This feat could not have been possible without the efforts of our visionary and astute politicians that have represented us well at the National Assembly.
“Though the bill was first introduced to the National Assembly by Senator Lanre Tejuosho. However, in the spirit of cooperation that has always existed among the Egba people, Tejuosho’s successor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, continued from where he stopped.
“But not only Senator Amosun continued this, he financed the passage of the bill personally. To the glory of God, before the completion of his current tenure at the Senate, the president assented to the bill and the university now berths in Egbaland.
“I must also mention that Amosun provided 350 hectares of land, a permanent site for the university. For the first time in Ogun State, a tertiary institution will be taking off on its permanent site.”
He gave kudos to the Aro of Egbaland, Chief Oluyinka Kufile, for leading a powerful delegation of the Egba to the National Assembly, to strengthen lobby for the passage of the bill.
He thanked FMC Medical Director, Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu, for his contributions: “We must recognise that this man singularly used his office to make sure that all the prerequisites for establishment and assent to that bill were provided.”
A prominent Egba indigene and chieftain of the Labour Party in the State, Abayomi Arabambi, said the university would not only serve as an enhancement of the delivery of advanced medical services to the people, it would also help in absorbing and training of many indigenes of the state who desired to pursue courses in the medical field.
He said: “History will not forget the heroic deeds of both Tejuosho and Amosun, in ensuring the specialised university berthed in
Egbaland.” He applauded Alake and all Egba indigenes for rallying support and committing their resources to ensure the approval of the school.
Former Commissioner for Finance, Kehinde Sogunle, said: “It is a welcome development. It compliments the medical delivery in Egba and the state in general. In fact, medical institutions such as the FMC, and Sacred Heart Hospital, which have been offering world-class medical services, will receive a boost. These institutions have also been training doctors in the post-graduate medical fields. The university will no doubt compliment their efforts.
“One must also commend Senators Gbenga Obadara, Tejuosho and Amosun, for this feat. Apart from enhancing the socio-economic development of Egbaland, particularly, the Obafemi-Owode axis, which seems to have been neglected, the university will also afford the Egba intellectuals and professionals in sciences and medicine opportunity to share their experiences back home.
“Whatever you can conceive, you can achieve. I am a member of the EES.
We have a network of Egba businessmen and professional, locally and internationally. They have the resources and connections to ensure the university commences in 2024. The EES was part of the committee set up for the inauguration of the university. We have a great stake. We must do everything possible to make sure the school takes off next year.
“The school is not about academic activities alone. It will also give a boom to economic activities. The earlier it takes off, the better.
To this end, we are ready to mobilise Egba indigenes abroad to support this huge project and make sure it commences fully.
A lawyer, Deji Eniseyin, said the university was a huge plus to Egbaland, Ogun State and Nigeria: “It will help in the area of medical and other scientific researches.”