Ipokia youths urge Amosun on location of new Ogun Polytechnic
Youths of Ipokia, in Ipokia Local Government area of Ogun State have appealed to Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State not to bow to any pressure from individuals telling him to change the location of the newly created Ogun State Polytechnic from Ipokia to Idiroko.
The youths, under the aegis of Ipokia Youth Development Council, made this plea in a release signed by its Publicity Secretary, Dare Olawin, and made available to our correspondent.
The youths said their attention was drawn to a newspaper publication where Gov. Amosun had purportedly been quoted to have said that the polytechnic would kick off at Idiroko and no more Ipokia town as earlier passed by the Ogun State House of Assembly.
The youths said they were incredulous of the information. They however were concerned by "the ongoing intense lobby of the government by certain individuals to start off the polytechnic in Idiroko, and possibly site the institution permanently" there.
The youths recalled that Ipokia as a town had been denied various chances of hosting some schools like the Tai Solarin College of Education and the Model School being constructed at Idiroko.
This, they said had continued to put youths of Ipokia town in shackles of illiteracy and poverty; adding that they would not fold their arms and allow the new Ogun Polytechnic pass them by.
They asserted that the ongoing rivalry by the people of Idiroko and environ might be necessary if it had not been clearly stated in the law establishing the polytechnic that it is to be constructed in Ipokia town.
In their words, the youths informed that there are infrastructural facilities to kick start the polytechnic in Ipokia.
They maintained that District High School, one of the two secondary schools in Ipokia would be renovated by the community, with the assistant of government, while construction of the main campus continues on a large expanse of land already earmarked for the polytechnic.
They added that students of the affected District High School would be moved to Community Secondary School, also in the same Ipokia for the meantime.
In their advice to the government of Ogun State, Ipokia youths said the safety of staffers and students of the polytechnic should be a priority in a border town like Idiroko where sporadic shooting between customs officers and suspected smugglers are on the increase.
They also alerted that Idiroko, in spite of its hustling and bustling still imposed curfew on workers, traders and students for days, all in the name of Oro festival; saying a similar scenario still occurred on Tuesday, August 8.
While appreciating Gov. Amosun and the OGHA for deeming Ipokia fit for such citadel of learning, and begging him to remain firm in his decision at siting both the temporary and permanent sites of the polytechnic at Ipokia town, the youths said anything short of that would be demoralizing to all Ipokia sons and daughters who can no longer wait for the take off of the polytechnic on their soil.
The youths therefore urged Gov Amosun to prevent any form of communal discord or enmity between Ipokia town and other neighbouring towns like Idiroko.
"This type of unhealthy competition, if not discouraged, is capable of breeding conflicts between and among the communities in Ipokia local government."
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