ESAN AKUGBE FOR GOOD LEADERSHIP TASK EDO GOVERNOR ON PROPER MANAGEMENT OF AAU
By: Oriaifoh Godwins
The leadership of Esan Akugbe for Good Leadership Unity Forum, a non-political Esan social group that is focused on ensuring the growth and development of Esanland by putting all Esan leaders, Political, Traditional, Religious etc on their toes, has called on Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki to as a matter of urgency intervene in seeing that one of the foremost state universities in Nigeria, the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, is properly and effectively managed so as to redirect the glaring course of the university from the precipice of destruction and total collapse.
In an open letter to the governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki written by the group, and signed by the Convener, Comrade Irabor Shaba Mien Mien, Jnr and the Secretary, Mr. Martin Momodu. The group clearly stated that Akugbe for good leadership can no longer fold its hands and look on, as the legacies of Esanland are being destroyed one after the other.
The group pointed out in their open letter to the governor of Edo state that the unceremonious closure of the College of Education Igueben that produced very many eminent Edo and Delta states personalities in time past, that has served several purposes including the fact that it was used as a military base during the Civil war, in the late 60’s, is a cause for worry; and more worrisome is the gradual emasculation of a once prestigious state university, Bendel State University, BENSU, that later became Edo State University and now Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, that was established by an illustrious son of Esanland, late Professor Ambrose Folorunsho Alli, when he was the governor of the defunct Bendel State.
The group, Akugbe for good leadership, while condemning the current happenings in the university, including the selective payment of workers’ salaries where some persons are paid and others are not paid, where tolls are paid at the gate before vehicles are allowed into the school premises, including vehicles of lecturers; where school fees and accommodation fees are arbitrarily increased, where several aspects of the university have been contracted out to private operators, including security, hostel management, etc is gradually reducing the prestige of the university and also killing the pride that the people of Esanland, Edo and Delta states and Nigerians in general had in the ivory tower.
Finally, the group called on the governor of Edo state, to do all he can to restore the glory of the university; that, in the history of the university, things has never been this bad with the institution and the Special Intervention Team, SIT, appointed by the governor to put the Institution in proper shape, has failed woefully in achieving their given mandate.