Kogi Foundation Team (KOFOT) has commended Governor Yahaya Bello for the bold steps taken to establish a full-fledged university in Okun land.
In a statement signed by the Head of Mission for KOFOT, Comrade Dayo Onibiyo and Publicity Director, Dr. Adekemi Mohammed, the team said they are happy about the development and sees it beyond primordial sentiments.
KOFOT warned those mixing the proposed university with governorship interest in Okun land to “stop such low and barbaric act which simply confirms them as enemies within and without for the hardworking and deserving wonderful Okun people.”
“We write as stakeholders with representatives across the nine Federal Constituencies of Kogi State to appreciate the State Excos, as led by the state Governor, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, for approving a University for Okun, a project Okun has been pursuing for decades even before our generation came to being.
“It is a known fact that, after farming, Okun is reputably known from historical point of view to be well read people and the numbers of graduates today in Okun land testifies to this unassailable fact, not to talk of the numerous numbers of sons and daughters who are studying in differences institutions of higher learnings across the world.
“It is our prayer that the 15-man Implementation Committee, as disclosed by the Commissioner after the state Exco meeting, Honourable Wemi Jones, should without delay, swing into action as we Okun people can’t wait any further to have this on our glorious soil, as we note the fact that the Agricultural College or part of the Agricultural College of the ABU has been partly on our soil for decades, and our effort to get the Federal University landed in the hands of our great brothers the Oworos. This, therefore, is worthy of beholding.
“We, therefore, appeal to His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, in our acceptance of this great offer as a people who are grateful, that the University be cited on Yagba land, which is the only Federal Constituency without a university or any higher institution’s presence.
“The pollution of the justiceable approval with political undertone is no doubt a serious disservice to the great people of Kogi state and Okun land in particular, as people in the 21st century now thinks digitally and couldn’t in any way be swayed in analog thinking of saying, it is a way to stop Okun from becoming Governor come November 2023. We are still at a shock as to how INEC administers University education in Nigeria.
“We like to also remind those short circuited in ideas, to face pursuing the unification of Okun through rallying behind a candidate so that, Okun can have a formidable front at the election and not to use the issue of the well deserved and over due University that will be built majorly with state resources to fan mere political ego tripping,” the statement said.
KOFOT noted that “it is important to remind our people that jobs will be created through this, housing opportunities will come for students as residential, business will spring up and patronages will rise and what other goods have you to add to the list of benefits from having a University, apart from the opportunities of admission for our students.
“We therefore, passionately appeal to His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaha Adoza Bello, to ensure that this project is one of the legacies he will leave behind as successful and prove his critics wrong.”
In the same vein, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Kogi State, Alh Yahaya Bello on Civil Service and Labour Matters, Omoluabi Bode Adeyemi has hailed the decision of the Kogi State executive council to cite a new university in Okunland, describing it as an answer to prayers of many decades.
Adeyemi congratulated Governor Yahaya Bello for being a doyen of educational development and quintessential job creator.
In a press release made available to journalists in Lokoja on Wednesday, Omoluabi said the singular act of the approval has given Governor Yahaya Bello another golden opportunity of engraving him name in gold on the rock of history.
“Governor Yahaya Bello has shown beyond any iota of doubt that he is the Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello of this generation combined together.
“This approval has increased the number of universities established under eight years of Governor Yahaya Bello to two, first the Confluence University of Science and Technology and now a brand new university in Okun extraction of Kogi West Senatorial district.
“The establishment of GYB Model Secondary Schools across the state is another testimony of Governor Bello’s penchant for educational development which has earned the place of pride as doyen of educational development,” he said.
Omoluabi said that Okun people are known for their addiction to education as a veritable industry that have earned the people international accolades on producing highest number of Professors as an ethnic tribe in the entire Nigeria, noting that this singular benevolence of Governor Yahaya Bello has given Okun people the long desired opportunity of advancing their educational prowess the new university will offer.
“Today, I am the happiest human being singularly for the approval of the Kogi State executive council to establish a new university in Okunland. This landmark decision has made Governor Yahaya Bello an unforgettable leader who made the aspiration of Okun people to come to reality. I am grateful to God almighty that this is happening in our time and profusely thank the Governor for his sense of balancing, fairness and justice in the distribution of development across the state.
“The establishment of the University is an achievement that have become a legacy project that will write the name of the Governor in the heart of every Okun people in gold forever. I therefore congratulate the people of Okunland for this achievement,” Omoluabi said.
The Special Adviser further explained that Governor Bello’s development strides have brought several thousand of jobs to lots of unemployed Kogites.
He said the establishment of the University is another deliberate creation that seeks to create formal and informal jobs, boost the economy of the are and avail indigenes of the state the needed opportunity to conveniently and affordable benefit university education around their domain.
He charged the soon-to-be constituted 15-man committee to come up with brilliant recommendations that will make the institution to take off in few months time as envisioned by the Governor.
He commended the Commissioner for Education for his foresight, vibrancy, administrative acumen used in assisting the government to make this a reality.
