Yesterday, being another black day for the students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, also finetunes the bloody anniversary of every gory year that the lives of our students have been terminated at dagger-points, manacled to death by God-forsaken trailer, eaten up by moribund health system, stolen by ravaging insecurity and snapped by the dangers of the night.
It is a matter of urgent importance that these realities are brought to your consciousness, particularly in the light of your sworn vow to pursue convenience and good life for Ondo people. The circumstance surrounding your emergence as Governor behoves you to serve the people and hold on to your statutory responsibilities as the Chief Welfare and Security Officer of our dear State. Until you do this, we see you as being held under a moral crisis and we shall proceed to challenge you to those things you have left undone.
Over the years, the premier university in Ondo State, Adekunle Ajasin University has battled all manners of disasters, caused by various human factors. The main gates to the university has been on lock and key for months owing to the debilitating effects and the need to prevent further complications as the carnage imprinted on AAUA's book of history by the Dangote Company through its unfortunate trailer. No fewer than 12 persons persons died from the unfortunate incident among which were AAUA students, Ambrose Alli University student, parents, secondary school student and more. To ward off further accidents, the government led by departed Governor Rotimi Akeredolu emplaced barricades at strategic areas in the community via the Ministry of Works.
Despite the fixed barricades, accidents have not seized on the roads of Akungba. As at day before yesterday, no fewer than 3 persons lost their lives very close to the university's main gates, among which were two siblings. Apart from accidents, gallons of ink have been dissipated in spotlighting the security challenge in AAUA, particularly the poor funding of the branches of the Nigeria Police Force in the area. How possible is the adequate security of the students and the people when the Police can only boast of a jalopy as van - a ramshackle one at that. When they are not fortified with adequate weapons and facilities?
I have it in good authority that students are being shot at, robbed without the benefit of good security in AAUA. Some die from simple medical conditions like Malaria, stomach ache. Apart from all these, dogged victims of these incidents can barely survive as they are subjected to the scorching hands of killer physicians who barely know the divisions of medical battle.
Out of negligence and fatigue, the few available physicians scamper and abscond from their places of work, hiding under the shield of flimsy and odious excuses.
Mr. Governor, Sir. In the wee hours of yesterday 27th April, 2024. A student of our university from the Department of Accounting, James Oluwagbemiga Ogunbara, had reasons to be rushed to the Iwaro Oka General Hospital for an emergency treatment of stomach ache but could not be attended to by anyone. The nurses on duty kept looking at this promising victim. They also claimed there is no doctor to address the condition hence, the further referment to a private medical facility. It remains a sad experience that this student could not make it to this private clinic before giving up the ghost.
Being a black day, AAUITES are stamped in another moment of sober refections, particularly on the scores lost and wasted on the platform of our negligence, nonchalance and misplacement of priorities. Mr. Governor, Sir, our students are not happy and they started doubting the capacity of the State to safeguard them amidst the turbulence of these many disasters that have bedeviled AAUA. As at now, no student is safe. Attesting to this is the latest event which instigated a forceful unity between the departed student and the pantheon of the many AAUA martyrs who have fallen victim of similar occurrence and had been buried in sorrow, tears and blood.
The recent situation splashes the memory of every student of AAUA with the similar circumstance and event many years ago. On 8th April, 2016, a 200 level student of Economics, Ojo Oluwatobi Daniel, had an accident and had to be rushed to the same hospital, Iwaro General Hospital. There were pockets of insinuations among students that the badly injured student was poorly managed by the hospital hence, the move to transfer him to the Federal Medical Centre in Owo. Almost immediately after making it to Owo, he was reported dead. The outbreak of this news degenerated in a crisis which spiralled to the university's health center as students erroneously felt Ojo was admitted at the university's health center.
While history appears to be repeating itself, Iwaro General Hospital has not changed from being a death trap.
I hereby challenge your new government to prioritize the lives of students in the premier Ondo State institution, Adekunle Ajasin University. Our parents are restless and they could no longer sleep with their two eyes closed. The students themselves are stamped in the fear of the unknown, they want something more deliberate than the mere construction of barricades on Akungba roads - afterall, an indigenous youth organisation has advised that the tiny Akungba roads are made larger by transforming it to a dual one.
Our students will continue to have their bright dreams terminated if the government decides to close its eyes to its obvious responsibilities. The welfare of the people remains the paramount objective of the government. By employing, deploying more dutiful doctors to the hospitals in Akungba or even boosting the self-confidence of the dampened Police by providing them with a new van and facilities. By stocking our hospitals with drugs at either subsidized or free rates, the government will be staying true to its paramount objectives.
Your office has a duty to invite the administrators of this public health facility in Akungba and possibly open an inquiry into the circumstances leading to this death and the previous ones. This is in order to deter future occurrence. We cannot continue to die!
We still have the belief in the capacity of your government to pay the subventions due our university, including providing educational aids like befitting bursaries and scholarships. These are by the way.
This letter is addressed as a clarion call to you, other concerned bodies, including the federal government. We shall not hesitate to take our struggles to your office or anywhere should you look down on the aforestated issues with AAUA students.
Looking forward to your decisive actions.
Sincerely,
DIST. SENATOR TUNDE AKINGBONDERE
(SENATE PRESIDENT, AAUASU SRC).