Former President Ijesa People in Diaspora, Bobaseye Akinyemi Fasakin has strongly condemned the recent commissioning of projects at the University of Ilesa by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Fasakin who is also the Bobasaye of Isolo-Ijesaland and Tayese of Ido-Oko Ijesa in a statement described the event as a grand deception, an exercise in political window-dressing, and an insult to the intelligence of the people of Osun State.
He admonished Governor Adeleke to stop taking Ijesa people for a ride over the university, saying about 70 percent of the university staff are allegedly from Ede the hometown of the governor.
Fasakin stated that an independent assessment of the commissioned projects reveals that the administration has failed to deliver any substantial new infrastructure, adding that the administration has resorted to rebranding existing old structures as fresh achievements.
He also condemned the situation of university of Ilesa being the most expensive government owned institution with a school fee as high as 1.5 million Naira.
Fasakin said, “The newly commissioned Law Faculty building is not a new construction, but merely an old, existing structure that underwent mere painting.
“It will be good for our people to know that The Faculty of Public Health is not a new initiative, it has existed since the days of the old College of Education, Ilesa, and was only slightly modified and repainted for the cameras.
“The highly publicised road project is a minor extension that was simply linked to a pre-existing road network, rather than a newly developed infrastructure pathway.
“Tetfund buildings are a federal government sponsored project so state government cannot lay claim and glory to it
“Our investigation confirmed that most, if not all, of the commissioned projects are old structures, Governor Adeleke passing off routine maintenance as monumental governance achievements is a disservice to the state”.
He held that the renovations were funded entirely through the university’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and not direct funding from the state government’s capital expenditure budget.
The Ijesa diaspora boss stressed that Governor Adeleke cannot claim credit for projects funded by the university’s internal resources and built on the foundations of past administrations.
Fasakin noted that governance requires true vision and actual capital investment, not just a paintbrush, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and political fanfare.
He charged Governor Adeleke to stop the media hype and focus on delivering genuine, state-funded development to the institution.
The former President warned Governor Adeleke against altering the history of the university , asserting that former Governor Gboyega Oyetola secured the license and established the institution.
He expressed deep concern over recent state narratives that seemed to downplay the foundational work of the previous administration.
“We cannot watch the birth of our long-awaited university become a tool for political point-scoring, history is not a chalkboard you can erase at will.
He posited that Ijesa people is not oblivious of the recent 4 billion Naira special intervention fund from the Federal Ministry of Education which was for the expenses on Faculty of Engineering located in the recently released Federal Government low cost housing estate along Ibodi road.
Fasakin noted that the intervention fund is a gesture from President Tinubu despite that the state is presently being ruled by PDP/Accord party.
He however urged the leadership of the University of Ilesa and the student body to demand true accountability and substantial infrastructural funding from the State Government.