Protest in Ekiti over relocation of varsity faculty

Dapo Falade, Ado-Ekiti - 06.03.2008

controversy surrounding the decision of the Governor Segun Oni administration to establish a state University of Education raged on as youths in their hundreds on Wednesday took to the streets of Ado-Ekiti to protest against an alleged plan by the government to relocate the Faculty of Education of the University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD).

The state government has, however, said it was not true that it was proposing to relocate the faculty to any other part of the state, adding that the protesting youth were being misled by enemies of the state.

Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communications, Mrs. Bola Bruce, said the state government had not taken any decision yet on the issue of relocating the faculty, saying those goading the youth into protesting were not interested in the socio-economic development of the state as well as the well-being of its people.

The protesting youths, who were mostly students of UNAD but operating under the aegis of the Ado-Ekiti Youth Congress, said they were not interested in making the state ungovernable.

They said the proposal by the state government was "a conspiracy against Ado-Ekiti", adding that the state would witness a repeat of the protest that happened in Ikere-Ekiti recently should the government go ahead with the planned relocation.