Ekiti community raises the alarm over herders’ incursion into varsity

The Ikere-Ekiti Community in Ikere Local Council of Ekiti State has lamented over the destructive activities of Fulani herdsmen at the newly-established Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti (BOUESTI) and the entire community.

The paramount ruler of the community, the Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Adejimi Adu, stated this, at the weekend, while presenting a cheque of N60 million raised by the community to support the take-off of the university.

Oba Adu, therefore, appealed to the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to help tackle the Fulani herdsmen and ‘local bandits’ operating under the cover of cultism, robbery and terrorising the community and the new university.

The monarch said the call became imperative because the establishment of a new university would bring an upsurge of people of diverse characters into the town, saying: “I don’t want the lives of the students and my people to be endangered by these criminals.

Fayemi, in his remarks, represented at the occasion by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Olabimpe Aderiye, applauded the Ikere community for donating N60 million as grant to the take-off of the institution.

He reiterated the commitment of the administration to sound and qualitative education through proper funding, saying that the government would strive hard to ensure every interested Ekiti citizen has access to good education up to university level.

The governor said: “For sustainable development, no amount can be too much to expend on sound education. Schools with more funds clearly have greater ability to provide higher quality, broader and deeper educational opportunities to the students they serve.

“We understand that without proper funding, efficiency and innovation are easily compromised. This is why today’s event is significant. All well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies must join hands to fund education.

“I commend the donors for sharing our vision and passion to make the university a world class and one we can all be proud of.”

“The development of a nation or state depends on quality education of its citizenry. Education is the foundation of a country which brings wealth, social prosperity and economic stability.”

Meanwhile, Chairman, Funding Support to BOUESTI, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Tunde Ogunsakin (rtd), represented by Pastor Tope Orolu, said the fund was a partial fulfilment of the pledge of financial support to the governing council of the institution.

Ogunsakin, therefore, urged the university management to run the institution like a truly 21st century institution through “radical curriculum reform, research-oriented education, technology transfer, intellectual exchange programmes and edu-tourism initiative in the institution.” (The Guardian)