TASUED: Ogun State government’s abdication of responsibility
Sir: The decision by the Ogun State government to concede Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) to the federal government is not only regrettable; it is a glaring admission of
Sir: The decision by the Ogun State government to concede Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) to the federal government is not only regrettable; it is a glaring admission of policy failure and an easy escape from responsibility. It represents a sad moment in the state’s educational history and raises troubling questions about leadership, priorities, and fiscal discipline.
As far back as 2007, I warned in a national newspaper that Ogun State government lacked the financial capacity and strategic foresight to fund two state-owned universities sustainably. That intervention was not driven by pessimism but by realism. Education, particularly at the tertiary level, requires long-term planning, steady funding, and political will. Unfortunately, events have proven that warning prescient.
Despite years of inadequate funding, TASUED has struggled—often heroically—to survive. Staff have endured uncertainty, infrastructure has aged without adequate renewal, and the institution has had to make do with far less than it deserves. Yet, against all odds, TASUED remained standing, continuing to fulfil its mandate as Nigeria’s first university of education and a critical training ground for teachers who form the backbone of national development.
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Handing over TASUED to the federal government at this point is akin to the story of the prodigal son in the Bible. Like the prodigal son who squandered his inheritance through poor choices and reckless living, Ogun State government appears to have mismanaged its educational assets. Instead of retracing its steps, accepting responsibility, and rebuilding what has been weakened, the state now chooses to hand over what remains—washed hands, bowed head, and all—to another authority. But unlike the biblical father, the federal government did not squander TASUED’s fortune; Ogun State did.
A more fitting analogy is that of a farmer who neglects his crops, refuses to water them consistently, and then blames the soil when the harvest is poor. Rather than improve his farming methods, he sells the land and walks away. TASUED was not inherently unviable; it was starved. Conceding it is not reform—it is retreat.
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More disturbing is the role of Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, the Commissioner for Education, in this unfolding narrative. As a former vice-chancellor of TASUED, one would have expected him to be a leading voice in defending the institution, articulating its challenges honestly, and proposing viable pathways for its survival under state ownership. Unfortunately, he has chosen instead to dogmatically support this unpopular and self-defeating decision. His stance is particularly troubling because it comes not from ignorance of TASUED’s history and potential, but from intimate knowledge of both. That such a figure would endorse the abandonment of an institution he once led raises serious questions about conviction, loyalty, and the courage to speak truth to power.
This concession also raises an uncomfortable but necessary question: will the resources and allocations meant for TASUED now be channelled to Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU)? If so, why was such internal rebalancing not considered earlier? Why must one institution be sacrificed for another? A responsible government should be able to manage, prioritize, and equitably fund its institutions rather than abandon one to keep another afloat.
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Education is not a disposable asset, and universities are not liabilities to be offloaded when governance becomes inconvenient. By conceding TASUED, Ogun State government is effectively admitting that it has chosen the path of least resistance—passing the burden instead of fixing the problem.
History will remember this decision not as an act of pragmatism, but as a failure of vision. Ogun State owes TASUED more than a handover document; it owes it commitment, accountability, and the courage to govern.
