By Gbenga Olarinoye,

Osogbo—Mixed reactions have continued to greet last week renaming of Osun State government-owned university, UNIOSUN after late former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.

Aregbosola

The state governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola had during UNIOSUN 4th and 5th combined convocation announced the renaming of the university as Bola Ige University, Osogbo while he also named the six campuses of the university after some prominent individuals in the state.

The first civilian governor of Osun State, Senator Isiaka Adeleke expressed his appreciation to the governor for naming the Ejigbo Campus of Bola Ige University after him.

Senator Adeleke in a statement by his media aide, Mr Olumide Lawal in Osogbo said, the gesture was a great honour that he will cherish for the rest of his life.

But the Alumni of the University of Osun State, UNIOSUN, Osogbo rejected the recent renaming of the university after late Ige, saying the gesture was immaterial at this point in time, urging Governor Aregbesola to reverse the action.

They equally considered the option of approaching the Court of Competent Jurisdiction in the land to seek redress on the subject matter if Governor Aregbesola refused to reverse the action to status quo.

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by Mr. Oluwatosin Abikanlu and Mr. Otunde Adebowale, the President and Secretary-General of the Alumni respectively,  yesterday.

The association maintained that they rejected the renaming after late Ige because Chief Bola Ige had nothing to do with the establishment of the University aside being a political leader in the state before he died in December 2001, noting that the acronym of the UNIOSUN with the renaming of Bola Ige University (BIU) had also clashed with Benson Idahosa University (BIU).

Meantime, governor Aregbesola has directed the Nine-man committee on the Repositioning of Tertiary Institution in the state to verify the implementation of reforms initiated by the administration in the four state-owned tertiary institutions.

Inaugurating the committee in Osogbo weekend, Aregbesola said it is the desire of the government to put a stop to secondary school students’ yearly poor performance in external examinations. Aregbesola said time is ripe for something to be done urgently to ensure that performances of pupils reflect the heavy investment in education by the government.

The nine-man committee called Committee on the Repositioning of State-Owned Tertiary Institutions is headed by the ActingVice Chancellor of the Bola Ige University, Osogbo, Prof. Oguntola Jeleel Alamu.

Members of the committee include Prof. Olasupo Oladipo, Prof. Layi Afgbenle, Prof. Ajeyalemi, Dr. Yemi Adegoke, Engr. Abimbola Daniyan.

Others are Mr. Niyi Akande, Mr. Tunde Ajiboye and Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Abiola Adewemimo.

The Governor charged the committee to verify the implementation of all reforms, which government initiated in the four state-owned tertiary institutions, including Adeyemi Oyedotun College of Education Ila-Orangun; Lawrence Omole College of Education, Ilesha; Sunday Afolabi Polytechnic, Iree and Bisi Akande College of Technology, Esa-Oke.