There was a little disagreement between the paramount ruler and the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Aromolaran, the Gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke and the main opposition party in Osun state over the procedure for upgrading the College of Education, Ilesa to university.
This incident happened on Thursday evening, 29th April when the leadership of PDP and Senator Adeleke visited the palace of Owa Obokun to seek royal blessing and make attempt to lobby the Ijesaland traditional council with new varsity ahead of Osun 2022 gubernatorial election.
The outgone PDP chairman and Director-General of Adeleke campaign organisation, Sunday Bisi while addressing the first-class monarch said, “Osun is not that in good condition. What is important to Ijesha is establishing a university, I won’t comment on the upgrade that Oyetola announced but I will tell you that during the administration of PDP between 2003 to 2010 the day we announced that we will establish a university was the day we commence foundation laying. Osun State University is one of the best today with six campuses. We never played politics with establishing a university nor announce it in vain.
Likewise, the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Senator Ademola Adeleke while speaking at the event also disclosed that he came to see the monarch for royal blessings and promised to establish a university in Ilesha if elected as governor in the July 16th, 2022 election.
He said:” Osun is suffering too much, we are tired of promise and fail. The road is bad, it is even worse in Ilesha senatorial District. When we are coming to the palace the people thronged out to meet us, lamenting that they are suffering. The roads in Ilesha are bad even the road that led to the palace is in a bad condition.
“In 2018, I talked about university for Ijesha people, when I raised it, they said they will also do it. If they are truly willing to do it they ought to have taken steps since he assumed office, by now the university ought to have commenced operating now. I am promising you that when I get to the office I will start what is called procedure and when we proceed like this, the university will start operating. Give us your royal blessing.”
However, Oba Aromolaran disagreed with Senator Adeleke and the director-general of his campaign organization over the upgrade of the College of Education, Ilesha to a varsity. The monarch explained that there are procedures to be followed for the institution to be upgraded.
”You are here to visit us, we are not here to abuse anybody. You said the other time that the people of Ijesha are suffering, we are hungry truly but God will continue to feed us. In Ijesha, we are independent of the government, we built the palace ourselves without collecting a dime from outsiders. The only thing we demanded from the governor was to help us inaugurate it.
‘’We don’t need any money from anybody. We built a hospital for the aged. The appeal I want to make is that when you become the governor, don’t forget us. I am grateful for visiting us, we are very fine.
The monarch added: “After this palace, the current governor approved the upgrade of our university. They will start very soon. You know when the government makes the pronouncement of upgrading the College of Education to a university, the government follows the law, everything and action of government must be gazetted, the present government is working on the gazette before June 2022 they will start the upgrade to university. They cannot announce it in a day and change it to a university that same day, it is not possible!
“Not that they just make the announcement, it requires time and several steps. It is not possible for government not to make a promise and not fulfil it. I congratulate the Ijesha people for the promise which has come to fruition. We are united in Ijesha over the matter.
“When we want to vote I will hold meetings with my people to decide who to vote for. We don’t have rebels in Ijesha.”