The Esan Elders’ Forum, an umbrella body of elders of Esan Land, has accused Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole of making some subterranean moves to relocate the College of Medicine of Ambrose Alli University from Ekpoma.
The elders made the allegation in a document issued at a meeting convened in Igueben town, the Headquarters of Igueben Local Government Area.
The document was signed by the forum’s National Chairman, Chief Julius Akpede and other leaders, before it was made available to National Mirror in Benin yesterday.
The forum said: “In a recent goodwill message to Chief Tony Anenih on the occasion of his 80th birthday, the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, said, inter alia, “…the spirit of kinship binds us together. As the Iyasele of Esanland and myself as the Adolor of Esanland, we no doubt share a common commitment to ensure the growth and development of Esan nation in particular, Edo State and Nigeria in general”
“This is why it comes as a rude shock to the people of Esanland that this administration is making frantic efforts to move the College of Medicine from its present site of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, to a nonexistent campus at Iyamho village in Uzairue Clan of Etsako West Local Government Area.”
The forum, however, asked the state government to properly and significantly fund AAU; promote and implement the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between AAU and Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital; embark upon the building of a befitting teaching hospital as provided by the original master plan; discard the idea of moving the College of Medicine to another location and tackle the problems of non-accreditation, inadequate staffing, underfunding and poor structures bedevilling the College of Education in Igueben.
The forum said: “The Adolor of Esanland, the Comrade Governor, should protect the interest of the people of Esanland. He should not destroy existing institutions and legacies left behind by our past heroes.”
But Oshiomhole denied the alleged plan to relocate the College of Medicine.
His Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Prince Kassim Afegbua, denied the allegation and challenged the forum to sincerely compare the achievements of the state government between November 2008 and now with those of the past administrations of the state between 1999 and 2008.
He said that the state government finds it hard to believe that enlightened members of the society could play politics even with the future of education by promoting divisive and provocative statements.
Afegbua said: “We find it very laughable and ridiculous that this is coming from persons who are enlightened, but have decided to play politics with the future of academics of our students in the state by promoting what is clearly divisive, provocative, hearsay and conjectures as the position of government.
“To state in clear terms, the government of Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole does not have, whether immediate or remote or whether now or in the future, any plan to relocate, extend, expand the College of Medicine to any other location order than where it is presently located.
Source: National Mirror
