Posted by By Jacob Edi, Abuja on
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Peter Ayodele Fayose, has advised the State Government to tread softly on the issue of University of Education and never allow it to plunge the state into another crisis.
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Peter Ayodele Fayose, has advised the State Government to tread softly on the issue of University of Education and never allow it to plunge the state into another crisis.
Fayose, who spoke with journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday through Dr. Funso Alapare, the Director of Publicity and Research of the Ayo Fayose Foundation and Movement (AFFM), claimed that his administration originally conceived the idea of upgrading the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, to a degree awarding institution.
The former governor said that the controversy generated by the question of where to site the university and the movement of the College of Education out of its present site could have been averted if the government has not play politics with it.
Though, not with intention to claim any glory, Fayose said that his administration held several meetings with the National University Commission (NUC) under Professor Okebukola over the upgrading of the College of Education and approval was still being awaited before he left the office. He said the original plan was to site the university and the College of Education together, because Ikare Ekiti has all it takes to accommodate the two institutions as they are interrelated. The intention of Fayose administration for establishing the University of Education was to enhance professional training of our teachers and the state's manpower.
The former governor therefore faulted the setting of up of panel to decide where the university should be sited, describing it as unnecessary.
He said it was better to have allowed the two institutions to remain in Ikere-Ekiti since it was the original plan.
Fayose appealed to Ikere people to be more civil in their reaction to the issue on ground while insisting on their demands.