Senator Gbenga Daniel, representing Ogun East, has criticized the Ogun State government’s handling of the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), following its unilateral takeover by the federal government. Daniel, who established TASUED in 2005, described the federal takeover as an indictment on the state’s ability to manage its tertiary institutions. He argued that Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration failed to maintain TASUED, which he noted had achieved global recognition as the second university of education in Africa.
In an open letter to Governor Abiodun, Daniel questioned the state government’s inability to sustain TASUED and other state-owned tertiary institutions, despite a budget exceeding one trillion naira. He warned that the federal takeover would have negative consequences, particularly regarding employment and admission opportunities for Ogun State indigenes. The takeover, he asserted, strips the state of its authority to appoint key personnel, including the vice-chancellor, principal officers, and academic staff, thereby limiting job prospects for Ogun residents.
Daniel pointed out that state-owned institutions in Ogun have suffered neglect under the current administration, which he believes prompted the federal intervention. He urged the government to redirect its education budget to revitalize other institutions and prevent a recurrence of TASUED’s situation. He cautioned that if institutions like the Gateway Industrial and Petro-Gas Institute, Oni; DS Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori; Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade; Abraham Adesanya ICT Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo; and ICT Polytechnic, Igbesa, were allowed to deteriorate, the Abiodun administration would be judged harshly by posterity.
While acknowledging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intervention in rescuing TASUED, Daniel cautioned that the loss of state control could lead to reduced admission quotas for Ogun indigenes and federal jurisdiction over appointments. He called on Governor Abiodun, as a native of Ogun East, to ensure that specialized institutions in the region are not allowed to decline under his leadership, emphasizing the importance of public service commitment for the benefit of the people.
