Students dragged state governor to court for relocating LAUTECH campus

Some students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have dragged the state governor, Seyi Makinde, alongside three others to court for relocating 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 of the state.

The second-year students of the institution were directed to move to Iseyin for the second semester of the ongoing academic session.

The suit no HOG/34/2023 filed at an Oyo State High Court in Ogbomoso has Akintayo Ajibola, Onwi Edet, Ezekiel Ogunmola and Aderemi Olude as plaintiffs.

They filed the suit for themselves, and on behalf of other students and parents of the 200 level students of the faculty.

Though no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit, the court paper dated Monday, October 30, which was obtained by our correspondent on Sunday listed the state Commissioner for Education; the acting Vice-Chancellor of LAUTECH and the Provost of Iseyin campus as defendants in the suit.

The claimants are seeking an order of the court to restrain the governor and his agents from going ahead with the planned 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 our correspondent on the phone that he had not received any petition to that effect.

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.”