Date Published: 08/24/10

Ekiti to repeal TUNEDIK Bill, UNAD to absorb students

Following the recent withdrawal of the operating licence of The University of Education Ikere-Ekiti (TUNEDIK) by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Ekiti State Government is to forward a bill seeking to repeal the law setting up the University to the state House of Assembly this week. Students of the university are also to be absorbed by the State owned university of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD).

The Ekiti State Governor, Engr. Segun Oni, who made this known while featuring on the monthly radio and television programme, “Mr Governor Explains” said the new bill would officially return the College of Education (COE) to Ikere-Ekiti.

Oni said with the bill, all activities pertaining to TUNEDIK would be put on hold while the authorities of the COE have been directed to immediately commence the process of admitting fresh students into the college for the next academic session.

He disclosed that his administration has set up a committee to ensure a smooth transition for staff of the defunct TUNEDIK into the two other state-owned Universities and tertiary institutions in the state adding that arrangements were in top gear to absorb all students of TUNEDIK into UNAD

While stressing that that the withdrawal of TUNEDIK certificate was not instigated by the state government, the Governor attributed the sad development to politics of acrimony exhibited by the opposition party and some elements within Ikere community.

Oni said the NUC withdrew TUNEDIK certificate after investigating the petition written by some elements in Ikere Community which clearly shows that the university was not welcomed in the community.

The governor, who lamented the brand of opposition politics being practised in the State said; “We have been in opposition in this state before and our mentality was quite different. We did not behave like the opposition in the state today, whose agenda is to destroy everything just because they are not in power. “Whenever we criticised the then government in the state, we were objective in our criticism. We even complemented the state government. We didn’t criticise for the sake of criticising like our friends on the other side of the divide now, who have closed their eyes and hearts to whatever good thing that this government does. Instead, they have chosen to continue to see everything that our government does as criminal.”