We won’t leave campus, say students
By Gbenga Ariyibi
The embattled students of the University of Education, Ikere Ekiti (TUNADEK) who have been sent home by the authorities of the university over 9 months ago weekend, made a surprise appearance at the Ifaki Ekiti campus of the institution, vowing not to leave the campus until the authorities of the state government make a definite pronouncement over their resumption.
The students were sent home by the authorities of the institution about nine months ago following a violent crisis that greeted the relocation of the university from Ikere to Ifaki Ekiti by the Ikere community
Just last week, two lawmakers in the State House of Assembly who are from Ikere Ekiti, M   Messrs Niyi Afuye and Bolu Komolafe warned that a fresh crisis may erupt if the state government goes ahead with its plan to relocate the university from Ikere to Ifaki.
The students who stormed the Ifaki campus in their scores told newsmen that they were tired of staying at home for more than nine months, vowing that they would not leave the campus until the state government who is the proprietor addressed their problem
To further compound the problem of the students, the state government through the State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr Taiwo Olatubosun had last Friday told newsmen that the state executive had just sent a bill to the state House of Assembly for the establishment of a University of Science and Technology to be sited in the North Senatorial District of the state.
Olatubosun added that government is considering merging of the TUNADEK with faculty of Education, University of Ado Ekiti[ UNAD]
But the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof oye Bamidele told newsmen at the Ifaki campus of the university last week  that the authorities were in a fix as the students forcefully resumed on their own.
Bamidele disclosed that the students stormed the present site of the institution in Ifaki-Ekiti on Wednesday in company of other students’ leaders from other universities in the southwest to enforce the resumption of students, who had been sent home since January, 2009.
The Vice Chancellor revealed that he had to abide by the dictates of the students because they were looking desperate and wild and ready for a showdown in case they were resisted by the school authorities.
He said for fear of having the school property being vandalized by the students, he allowed the students to stay back on the campus.
He further disclosed that the school authorities have been holding series of meetings to see how the resumption dilemma could be solved without exacerbating the crisis.
Reacting to a fresh allegation leveled against him by the two legislators representing Ikere-Ekiti in the state House of Assembly, the VC said as a public servant that he had no choice but to obey the order of the state governor, who is also the visitor to the university.
Adding that he was ready to resume wherever the varsity is taken to, said the laws of both commissions controlling both higher institutions read that both institutions could not exist on the same campus.
The VC therefore called for the urgent resolution to the crisis  surrounding the establishment and location of the varsity, the vice chancellor appealed to politicians in the state to separate education form politics, noting that the future of the 500 pioneer students of the institution is at stake.
Ikere-Ekiti was engulfed in crisis shortly after the establishment of the Education varsity in 2008 by Governor Segun Oni-led administration and the old college of education was transferred to Ifaki-Ekiti as the people of Ikere protested the transfer of the college, saying the varsity should be transferred instead.
