Masquerades lead protest against merger of institutions in Osun

THERE was drama yesterday in Esa Oke, Osun state when six masquerades led protest in the town against alleged plan by the State government to merge the Osun State College of Technology in the area with the Osun State State Polytechnic, Iree.

Esa Oke, in Oriade local government is the hometown of the late Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice chief Bola Ige.

Rumour making round in the state was that the State government was planning to merge the two Colleges of Education in Ilesa and Ila-Orangun including the two polytechnics in Esa-Oke and Iree.

The State government has however debunked the rumour saying it was not contemplating school merger.

The protesters who are indigenes of the town prevented lecturers and students of Osun State College of Technology from entering the campus.

They insisted that they would protest against any plan to merge the college with any other institution, warning that the move may have untold consequence.

Residents of Iree in Boripe Local Government had penultimate week made similar protest against the alleged plan to merge Osun State Polytechnic, Iree with the College of Technology in Esa-Oke.

The protest was followed by a press conference organized by the Alumni Association of Ila-Orangun College of Education.

The association stated that they have noticed a move by the state government to merge the two Colleges of Education in Ilesa and Ila-Orangun.

Residents of Esa-Oke yesterday barricaded the college road sending students and workers of the institution back to their houses.