Ogun Prince, Omooba Adéwálé Makes Strong Case For Putting Abandoned Govt Buildings In Ilaro To Use

Omooba Adésúnkànmí Adéwálé, a prince in Ogun state has made strong case for putting abandoned government buildings in Ilaro to use.

The stakeholder made the compelling case using firsthand experience in a piece titled “Scrapped Egbado Teacher Training College Structures – My Interest, My Experince”.

The write up which tells the sorry state of the structures reads

Sometime between 2003 and 2004, i was privileged to have worked with Omooba Sola Adetutu , a former Senior Lecturer and the Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic) who was later appointed by the Ogun State government as Rector, I.C.T Polytechnic, Igbesa Ogun State. I worked alongside as a member of Committee with mandate to securing accreditation and license for establishment and running of a private University from the Nigeria University Commission (NUC), which he (Omooba Sola Adetutu) was the Proponent.

The Committee worked tirelessly to actualising its mandate, and, not to bore you with details of our activities which centered on designing Academic Brief (AB) for the proposed University, the National University Commission (NUC) directed, as last phase of securing the license, that the Proponent come up with “Take-Off” site where the University was expected to temporarily commence its operations.

Yours truly, together with the Principal Proponent, took time to visit choice locations across Ogun West (provided as choice of location), some of which included the abandoned SDP/NRC Party Buildings across the Senatorial Districts, as well as the old Teachers College in Ayetoro, Yewa North of Ogun State.

With reference to my familiarity and knowledge of the viability and fitness of the structures at the abandoned Teachers College Ilaro, with sentiment of viability of having a University located in Ilaro, and potential development such could offer the town, i suggested choice of the Ilaro Teachers College to the Proponent, and he agreed to a visit.

Immediately we arrived at the school, he fell for the location and experts were recruited to work on taking inventories, and all that are required to put the structures in perfect shape for inspection by the NUC, while we made effort to seeking approval to releasing the structures for use, from the then administration of former Governor of Ogu State, Òtúnba Gbenga Daniel, in which sizable number of people of Ogun West extraction served.

The proponent applied to the then Ogun State government for possible release of the centre but the bureaucracy and political interest stood as brick wall, and at that point, certain political personality from Ogun West, Ìlarò in particular, was approached to help midwife approval of the application. Sadly, it was made known that after series of meetings with that character, that

“INTENTION OF OGUN STATE GOVERNMENT WAS TO USE THE LOCATION AS A MODEL SECONDARY SCHOOL”.

Sadly, ironically and unfortunately, the site i referenced is still and till today, left in habitation among thick bush which has overgrown and tower over the once quality and beautiful structures therein.

And that was end of the dream.

I wish to use this piece to ring alarming bell into ears of all indigenes and stakeholders in “The Ilaro Project” in appeal to govt of Ogun State to ensure that this great structures doesn’t continue to waste away, in our collective interest, and future of Ìlarò, our Heritage.

Omooba Adésúnkànmí Adéwálé

Ìgà Obaàsásì,

Oba Adewale-Tella Agbenuaranwoye  Compound, Ojú Okééké, Modéolú Ìlarò.