Group writes Obaseki, wants Ekiadolor College revived

Emma Njoku

A socio-cultural group, under the aegis of Benin National Congress, has appealed to Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to revive the College of Education, Ekiadolor, in Edo South which was revoked by the immediate past administration of former governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

In a letter addressed to Obaseki, dated February 2, 2018, and signed by the Vice President, Evang. Ralph Osaigbokan Onaghise, the group alleged that the obliteration of the college, which it described as one of the foremost colleges, fell “short of popular evaluation of Edo south oil resources (which is the fulcrum of Edo state capital and recurrent expenditures); and its population indices which places Edo south senatorial district well above other districts up together.”

The group said: “As a governor, we write you as one who is in charge of the three senatorial districts; not as governor of Edo south extraction at all. We are approaching you,  a people who are heavily laden with deluge of depression arising from a seeming anti-Edo south policy against, hitherto, thriving academic centres- College of Education, Ekiadolor; College of Agriculture, Iguorhiakhi and the state School of Nursing, Benin- all of these have been allegedly sacrificed for the Edo University, Iyamoh, at the expense of logic and due recompense for Edo south whose oil and gas resources are explored daily for the benefit of the ‘whole’ state.”

The group further alleged that the plan to replace College of Edcation, Ekiadolor  with the proposed Tayo Akpata University was “a smokescreen aimed at denying Edo south its statutory host community of the oldest colleges of education, College of Agriculture and the School of Nursing, with a view to transplanting same to the Edo University, Iyamoh – because, the proposed university was not designed to exist.”    

The group argued that the Edo University, Iyamoh, which was conceived same time with the Tayo Akpata University is already a world-class citadel of learning in its 300 levels programme, while the so-called Tayo Akpata is yet to be certified by the Nigerian University Commission for formal existence.

“And bad enough, your administration is seemingly bent on killing the College of Education, Ekiadolor despite pleas by well-meaning stakeholders that you kindly consider relocating the college to Abudu to further its corporate existence.

“We are constrained to ask – what sin did Edo south people commit to deserve this policy of denials?”

The group warned that, “the denials of concrete structures of human capital development is a time bomb,” which brute expression may manifest in form of mass protests against “perceived insensitivity to our people’s plight.”