When you are a spectator in a football match, you begin to blame an erring or weak side and start making recommendations as if if you are in the same position, you cannot make a decision that would even look more stupid than the person or party you are blaming.
In a public institution like public universities and hospitals, many people are stakeholders. I had told a security personnel when he challenged me for charging my phone at the verandah in OAUTHC most especially at night or evening when there was power outage at Phase 2 /Oranfe area and asked me where I came from or whether I was working there or not.
I told him I was not a worker but have friends and family who work in the hospital.
Moreso, I said 'I'm a stakeholder'. I have my OAUTHC card although God has made it possible for me not to visit the hospital for one illness or the other for years!
To God be the glory!
I'm not harmful to the extent that I would do a harm to OAUTHC. OAUTHC as a public institution is my institution.
In same way at OAU Ife, we have many stakeholders which include students, staff (Asuu, Nasu, etc), staff of other organisations in OAU, even the cleaners, motorcycle riders and any one who has one thing or the other to do in the university or has the interest of the university at heart.
Other stakeholders include the council, the management, alumni, friends and partners of the university and the host community among others.
These stakeholders are more powerful than one another.
Among the powerful stakeholders are the council, the management, the students, OAU staff, alumni and the host community (Ife people).
The stopping of academic and non- academic activities on campus by Ife people has shown how powerful a host community can be in the affairs of a hosted institution!
Ife people have the right to aspire to the position of OAU VC with a view to harness the resources and potentials of the Ife land and OAU for the maximization of wealth and development of both communities.
Those who are blaming Ife people are just like football spectators who apportion blames, carry out analysis and profess judgement without putting themselves into the shoe of the aggrieved or affected party.
As a third party, you are meant to do so because you do not feel what either of the party or major actor is feeling. If some thing has not happen to you, you would begin to make mouth.
It does happen when a bias, inexperienced and insensitive third party is making a resolution between two conflicting parties like husband and wife, friends and associates, such person may start apportioning blames. Let him find himself in the condition of either of the party, he would do worse.
That's how we human beings are!
If Ile-Ife happens to be your home, you would support the course of your town as a son or daughter of the land.
All these powerful stakeholders have their ways of disrupting the academic and non - academic activities as a way to express their feelings and dissatisfaction when the need arises.
Students do their own riot when they think it's necessary. OAU Asuu boycotted lectures before the national strike started in February, 2022.
OAU Nasu do block gate and hinder free movement as Ife people did yesterday 21st March, 2022. OAU Nasu displayed charms and brought masquerades in their 2016 struggle against non -payment of their allowances by Prof. Tale Omole! OAU Nasu caused disruption of activities in OAU when Prof Tale Omole had perfected his plan to hand over to his DVC academics Prof Bayo Salami! The crisis lingered on until federal government appointed Nasu-favoured candidate, Prof. Elujoba as Acting Vice Chancellor.
Those foreigners and non-indigenes who are investing their times in affairs of Ife and OAU communities should rather channel their energy on the course of development of their respective towns and villages as Ife people are doing. Of course, some of them are even lost in Ife.
So what my people did yesterday is not a new thing on that campus. They are major stakeholder in the university.
They gave their land, accommodate all and sundry. They have their right and should be able to express their feelings in a peaceful way if they feel cheated.
Those non- indigene who are blaming Ife people cannot even tolerate such marginalisation in their towns and villages. Ife community has tolerated the university for 61 years of her establishment, the accommodation and hospitality of which the towns and villages of these blame and fault tellers could not give for such length of years. We have seen a situation in South western Nigeria where there was a clash between hosted community and student of the hosted school. The community killed the students. But ours is not like that in Ife.
We are the most hospitable people among the tribes of Oduduwa. Our hospitable nature made our fore-fathers give part of our land to our neighbour, Modakeke in the 19th century (1845). We are peace-loving people who don't give first attack.
But If you attack us, we would give a reprisal attack. You cannot be god over us in our land. We believe in the principle of live and let live!
Our ancestors are one of the earliest black people that have ever lived in the sub-haran west of Africa.
So, If Ife Ogboni confraternity entered OAU campus yesterday, it's not a new thing.
NASU a major stakeholder has done the same thing before now. Even the Asuu and professors do put sacrifices( Ebo) at strategic places in OAU senior staff-quarters any time VC race starts.
Everyone has his/her way of expressing anger, emotions and dissatisfaction! So, you shouldn't consider yourself or your people a sacred being in this situation.
Ife people are major stakeholders in OAU. They have made the university community and the whole world know that fact, quite alright!
They know the power and principalities behind the allocation of that land to the then western government. They know what to do to disperse OAU community and make it inhabitable for everyone. God forbids, my people are good people!
OAU is a pride of Ife people and Ife people are ready to protect the interest of the varsity.
Prof. R.A. Adedoyin is my blood. Professor Adedoyin is not the first Ife professor to contest for OAU VCship. Prof. Elujoba had vied for the same position. He was not picked. Selection of VC of a university is a political thing. How could you conduct an interview in 3 days and announce the outcome on the 4th day if it wasn't a coup against Ife people. Recruitment of top managers in well-organised organisations and multinationals is not done like that let alone government organisation where bureaucracy needs to be followed. We saw the case of UI.
The OAU governing council announced the result so that there wouldn't be consultation or lobbying. The OAU VC like Ogunbodede, Omole, Faborode and Makanjuola were not in the first position on contestants' lists. They were all politically chosen. None of them were appointment in 3months to their successor's departure. Why making the appointment so brisk now?
So, If Adedoyin is politically chosen based on the outcome of the so-called result, it is all well and good. It's not a new thing. Other past VCs were politically chosen even the outgoing VC Prof. Ogunbodede!
Ife people are not doing the wrong thing in laying claims to the top position in the university so far they meet the qualifications.
This would be first time a former DVC would be climbing the position of VC in OAU from the time of Prof. Wale Omole whose tenure was cut short by 1999's assassination of amiable Great Ife students!
The justification that these anti-Ife born VC people do say is that Ife-born professors have not been contesting for VC or Ife people don't have enough Professors.
Now we contested through our son who is a scholar in his fifties, you changed things against us. It's ok!
My utmost desire in this matter is to have my uncle Prof. R.A. Adedoyin as the new VC of OAU, Ife. That's why the announcement of Prof. Bamire came as a surprise to me.
However, my utmost goal is the greatness of my university, our university OAU as the best university in Africa and one of the best in the world.
If after the reconciliation of both stakeholders, Prof Bamire is favourably permitted to man the affairs of OAU, so be it, in as much as he takes OAU to a greater height of glory!
For our brothers and sisters who are making insinuations about the disposition of Ife people in and outside OAU campus, keep calm!
You either be for us or against us. But don't be against us!
If Ife is your Jerusalem, you live in Ife, you make money in Ife, support and wish us well!
If you are non-indigene born or not born in Ife, you are an Ife person, an Ife people. Pray for our good and you would excel in the land. Stop blaming us for fighting a right course!
May God bless OAU!
May God Ife people!
May God bless Ile-Ife
May God bless Ife land!
Amen!
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