President Muhammadu Buhari had in December 2021 approved the upgrade of the institution from college of education to a university.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has accused the Director of Tertiary Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Rekiya Iliyasu of frustrating moves to implement in full, including the fiscal status upgrade of the Adeyemi University of Education, Ondo State.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in December 2021 approved the upgrade of the institution from college of education to a university.
However, NANS in a letter signed by its National Vice President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez and directed to Iliyasu, accused her of stampeding the process of upgrading the institution status to a university as required by the law.
The association gave the director two weeks ultimatum to implement the upgrade of the institution to a befitting university status.
The letter read, “I write you this day, as the National Vice President (External Affairs) of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), to let you know that the Nigerian Students are tired of your high handedness. I write you this day in the spirit of Aluta that we're tired of your disservice to Nigeria and to let you know that you're the real rot that should be gotten rid of if our higher institutions in Nigeria must move forward.
“This is coming hard on the heels of our effort to deal with you in the most mature and diplomatic way we could but you have made us to understand on several occasions that we amount to nothing and we will let you know that we amount to something very soon.
“The real essence of this letter is to drive home some points once and restate our demands as we have always done and you have always neglected:
“1. Proper implementation of the upgrade of Adeyemi College of Education into a full-fledged Federal University of Education must commence immediately; 2. The process of appointing a substantial Vice Chancellor for Adeyemi Federal University of Education must commence immediately;
“3. The issue of the 2023 budget that you submitted for the University (which is that of a College of Education when you're aware of the upgrade) must be revisited and proper adjustment must be made forthwith;
“4. Prof Adebayo Simeon Bamire, the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife must be called to order ,by your office, to discontinue every form of affiliation with Adeyemi Federal University of Education since she's now independent and can issue the same certificate;
“5. Use your office to see to it that all the graduates of Adeyemi Federal University of Education since the upgrade in 2022 (and going forward) carry a certificate that bears the new name - Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo. This will forestall any difficulty that these graduates may face later as a result of the change of name that you refuse to implement for reasons best known to you.
“The leadership of NANS will not want to believe that there is a shady scheme between your office and that of the Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, to continue to make extra money off (exploit) these students whose rights you have seized unduly.
“If these demands of ours are not met within two (2) weeks from the release of this letter, the national body would immediately relocate the entire secretariat of the NANS National to the Federal Ministry of Education to demand our rights as it has been signed into law and your person office will be our office until our demands are met.
“Conclusively, I'd advise that you wake up to your responsibilities and revert from the status of a demigod that you are acting like presently to that of the normal public servant that you are employed as. We look forward in preceding days for your swift actions on the implementation of this upgrade.”