Osun govt debunks rumours of relocation of college to satellite campus

The Osun State Government has debunked report of a purported protest by indigenes of Esa-Oke town over the alleged relocation of some departments from the Osun State College of Technology, OSCOTECH to a satellite campus in Ibokun.

This was contained in a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole and obtained by DAILY POST on Monday.

Eluwole maintained that the news of the protest is anti-government and it emanated from individuals who are enemies of peace, tranquility and progress of the state.

While denying that the state government has any plans to relocate the college to a satellite campus, Eluwole urged the indigenes of Esa-Oke to be rest assured.

He also called for calm between the indigenes and the school community.

The statement reads, “It has come to the notice of Osun State Ministry of Education that there is a mayhem at Esa-Oke township, surrounding the rumour that the state government is planning to site a satellite campus of Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke at Ibokun.

“The general public is hereby called to note that this assumption is far from the truth unfounded and entirely baseless.

“It must have emanated from anti-government individuals who are enemies of peace, tranquility and progress of the State.

“The ministry enjoins the good people of Esa-Oke community to be rest-assured that the Institution continues to exist within the community as there are no plans to establish any Satellite campus in the now, by the Osun State Government.

“In view of this, the Ministry of Education calls for calm in both the campus and Esa-Oke community.”

DAILY POST has gathered that indigenes of Esa-Oke community were protesting a planned relocation of some departments of OSCOTECH to a satellite campus in Ibokun.

But a source in the college, who preferred anonymity, while confirming the protest by the town’s people, denied that the state government harboured such intention.

“Yes, there is a protest in Esa-Oke today over alleged relocation of some departments to Ibokun. There is no school in Ibokun and we don’t know where the protesters heard the information from.

“There is no government memo to that effect and it is only the indigenes that are protesting and not the students of lecturers.”