A group of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso students have taken legal action against Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and three others. They are contesting the relocation of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences to the newly-established Faculty of Agricultural Science and Renewable Natural Resources, Iseyin Campus in the Iseyin Local Government Area.
Africa Today News, New York, has disclosed that second-year students at the university have been directed to shift to Iseyin for the second semester of the current academic session.
The lawsuit, bearing number HOG/34/2023 and filed at an Oyo State High Court in Ogbomoso, has Akintayo Ajibola, Onwi Edet, Ezekiel Ogunmola, and Aderemi Olude as the plaintiffs.
The suit, initiated by Akintayo Ajibola, Onwi Edet, Ezekiel Ogunmola, and Aderemi Olude, serves the interests of not just the plaintiffs but also other students and parents of 200-level students of the faculty.
While no hearing date has been scheduled for the suit, the court documents, dated Monday, October 30, and obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, identify the state Commissioner for Education, the acting Vice-Chancellor of LAUTECH, and the Provost of Iseyin campus as defendants in the case.
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In their suit, the claimants are seeking a court order to bar the governor and his agents from moving forward with the scheduled relocation.
The claimants are seeking three reliefs, including ‘an order of the court directing the respondents whether by themselves, their agents, servants or anybody under their authority to return all the already established courses moved from Faculty of Agricultural Science and Renewable Natural Resources of the main campus of LAUTECH, Ogbomoso to Iseyin Campus back to the main campus forthwith.’
They are also praying the court for an order ‘directing the respondents whether by themselves, their agents, servants or anybody under their authority to recall the movement of all 200 level students as directed in the letter dated October 19, 2023 signed by the Registrar of the three defendant/respondent on the authority of the four defendant/respondent from Iseyin Campus back to the main campus of LAUTECH.’
They want ‘an order of injunction restraining the respondents, their agents, servants or anybody under their authority from moving all the already established courses from the Faculty of Agricultural Science and Renewable Natural Resources of the main campus of the LAUTECH, Ogbomoso to Iseyin campus or any other campuses outside the main campus.’
When contacted on Sunday, the Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Salihu Adelabu, told journalists over the phone that he had not received any petition on this matter.
Adelabu said, ‘It is no longer a news if they have gone to court. They have gone to court already. Anyway, I’ve not received any petition. No problem, we shall meet. I’ve not received any petition anyway.’
Also contacted the Public Relations Officer of LAUTECH, Olalekan Fabiyi, simply said, ‘I am not aware of the petition.’