1. A Sincere Congratulations to Iseyin
I received with great joy the news that His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, has graciously approved the process to grant autonomous status to the Iseyin Campus of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH.
On Wednesday, October 15, 2026, while commissioning the Alhaji Kazeem Owonikoko Building at L.A. Primary School, Oke-Esa, Iseyin – a building donated by Alhaji Ahmed Raji, SAN, the Governor graciously acceded to the request of SAN and the Oke-Ogun stakeholders and promised to commence engagement with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and conduct a sustainability study.
This is a commendable decision. Iseyin deserves it. Oke-Ogun deserves it. I wholeheartedly congratulate the people of Iseyin and thank His Excellency for listening to their cry. Governor Makinde has once again shown himself as a listening leader who does not discriminate in development.
Thank you, Your Excellency.
2. But Why I Am Not Celebrating: The Kisi Question
I am happy for Iseyin, but I cannot celebrate. My heart is heavy because my own hometown, Kisi, is still waiting for the same justice.
The Oyo State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Kisi Campus, came long before LAUTECH Iseyin Campus. Officially established on March 7, 2014, as a satellite campus of the Oyo State College of Nursing and Basic Midwifery, Eleyele, Ibadan, the Kisi Campus began academic activities in 2017 after our community, through the Kisi Progressive Union and other stakeholders, donated ready to use academic buildings , hostel facility, library, mini-auditorium and other infrastructure to the state government.
Since then, it has remained a mere satellite campus facing major academic, infrastructural, resource strain, and regulatory limitations
We have clamoured for autonomous status for this institution. In fact, the Honourable Member representing Irepo/Olorunsogo State Constituency, Hon. Waliu Salami moved a motion on the floor of the Oyo State House of Assembly for the autonomy of the Kisi Campus, and I was physically present in the gallery when that motion was moved. The House listened. The people of Irepo clapped. But till today, that motion is yet to see the light of day.
LAUTECH Iseyin Campus that came yesterday – which started as College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources just a few years ago is now on its way to becoming a full-fledged autonomous university. Why is Kisi, which came first, still waiting?
3. A Call For Equity, Not Rivalry
This is not a competition between Iseyin and Kisi. We are brothers in Oke-Ogun. If Iseyin prospers, Oke-Ogun prospers. My appeal is for equity and inclusiveness.
We have three state-owned universities already – LAUTECH Ogbomoso, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology itself. Staff in these institutions are already crying over funding, subvention and welfare. One then wonders whether adding a fourth university without first strengthening existing institutions and rewarding loyal communities will not create another burden.
If we must expand, let us expand fairly. If we can grant autonomy to a campus that is barely 3-4 years old, we can do the same for a campus that is over 11 years old and has been serving the state faithfully.
4. My Appeal to His Excellency
Your Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, we in Kisi are appealing to you with humility. We thank you for what you have done for Iseyin, but we beg you to hear our own cry too.
Grant autonomous status to the Oyo State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Kisi Campus. Make it the Oyo State College of Nursing Sciences and Basic Midwifery, Kisi – fully autonomous, able to run ND/HND Nursing, Midwifery, Public Health and other related programmes. This will not only expand access to health education for Oke-Ogun youth but also address the acute shortage of nurses and midwives in our hospitals.
In doing this, you will also be rewarding the uncommon loyalty, humility and dedication of your own Deputy Governor, our own father, Barr. Bayo Lawal, who is a proud son of Kisi. He has stood by you faithfully and served this administration with all sense of loyalty. There is no better way to reward that loyalty than to bring development to his hometown.
5. Conclusion
Once again, I congratulate Iseyin. Your victory is a beacon of hope for us in Oke-Ogun that government can indeed hear the cry of the people.
But to the Government of Oyo State, we in Kisi say: we deserve more too. We have waited long enough. We have the land, we have the infrastructure, we have the manpower, and we have the history.
Let what you have done for Iseyin be done for Kisi. Thanks and God bless.
God bless Iseyin.
God bless Kisi.
God bless Oke-Ogun.
God bless Oyo State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria
