Alumni to sue Aregbesola over name change

olamide oni

March 14, 2016 10:40 AM

They alleged that Aregbesola had not funded the university for the past two and half years.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola

The alumni association of University of Osun state , UNIOSUN, located in Osogbo, the Osun state capital has rejected the renaming of the institution by Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Last week, during the institution's institution’s fourth and fifth combined convocation. Aregbesola renamed the school, Bola Ige University, in honor of former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, who was assassinated on 23 December 2001.

The alumni have urged the governor to reverse this action, saying he took the decision unilaterally without considering the interest of all the stakeholders of the university.

They are equally considering the option of approaching a court of competent jurisdiction in the land to seek redress on the subject matter if Governor Aregbesola refuses to reverse the action.

Mr. Oluwatosin Abikanlu, President of the Alumni association says the action had generated reactions where some people see it as a means to score cheap political popularity and bring confusion into the system, while some people, particularly members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, see the action as a welcome development.

READ: ASUU faults sacking of UNIOSUN VC over alleged financial mismanagement

The alumni argued that the late 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.

They also added that the acronym of the new name, BIU, had clashed with the Benson Idahosa University, BIU.

They alleged that Aregbesola had not funded the university for the past two and half years aside the money raised by the university management and help from Federal Government agencies like Tetfund.

They noted that renaming any institution at this point in time when the economy was biting every sector of the country is a misplacement of priority.

olamide oni