The nation’s premier university of education, Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) has ceased to exist due to a new policy of the Ogun state government as it seeks to reduce the numbers of tertiary institutions funded by the state government.

The Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) has been re-designated to an Institute of Education under the state’s university; Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) as a department.

Also affected by the new policy are the four Information and Communication Technology (ICT) polytechnics in the state, which have been merged into the “Ogun State Institute of Technology with its headquarters at Igbesa.”

This overhaul was announced on Wednesday by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology; Barrister Segun Odubela, who made this known at a press conference following the state executive council meeting.

According to Barrister Odubeta, the policy was taken to “salvage the standard in the education sector and to protect the interest of the generality of the citizens of the state.” With this, the number of tertiary institutions in the state has been reduced from ten to five.

Barrister Odubela stated that the merger of the four ICT polytechnics and the re-designation of TASUED to a department under the Olabisi Onabanjo University were necessitated by the need to “ensure decency of purpose and bring back the glorious days of tertiary education to the state.”

NO ADMISSION

According to the Commissioner, the present students of TASUED will be allowed to graduate while the University will no longer admit new students from the 2012/2013 academic session.

“This decision would address many problems that have bedevilled our higher institutions; the University of Education was discovered to have deviated from the purpose it was created to serve as less than 40% of the courses it offers are education-related.”

On the legality of this new policy without the endorsement of the state’s House of assembly, the Commissioner gave the assurance that “the state’s legislature will support us on these decisions as adequate steps have been taken to ensure due process is followed and we also have been carrying our legislators along in the processes leading to these decisions.

“What you are witnessing is part of the Mission to Rebuild the State. We are rebuilding our higher institutions” he said.

The Commissioner further said that after the State Governor set up visitation and fact finding panels to the numerous institutions and reports were submitted, another special panel headed by the Deputy Governor, Prince Segun Adesegun was also constituted to look into the issue of desirability or otherwise of leaving our higher institutions in their present state.

He reiterated that the Senator Ibikunle Amosun led administration’s resolve towards continuous provision of qualitative and affordable education adding that “all decisions taken were basically in the overall interest of the good people of Ogun State.”

CHANGE OF NAME

Barrister Odubela also announced that all existing former ICT Polytechnics at Saapade, Itori and Ijebu Igbo will retain their names and serve as campuses while the Teachers Training College at Ilaro will be renamed Ayo Otegbola Teachers Training College.

He also stated that the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu (TASCE) will relocate to Ijagun which is its original location while the new Institute of Education of Olabisi Onabanjo will be located in the Omu Campus.

The Tai Solarin College of Education was upgraded into a University of Education by the last administration of Olugbenga Daniel in 2005.

The old Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE) was established in 1978 as Ogun State College of Education to produce the middle level manpower for the schools and colleges in the state and Nigeria