Ilesa varsity decries recurring invasion by herdsmen, illegal miners

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilesa, Ilesa, Osun State, Prof. Taiwo Olufemi Asaolu, has described the recurring invasion by herdsmen and encroachment by illegal miners on the school land as some of the challenges confronting the institution.

He said that due to the lack of perimeter fencing in the school, herders and miners have had free entry and exit in the school, disclosing that some arrests made have yet to discourage the invaders.

The VC made this known during a media engagement on how far the school has fared in the last 18 months of its official take-off on the campus.

Asaolu explained how the authorities brought the police to arrest some of the invaders before some community elders came to plead on their behalf.

He said: “Constructing a fence in order to establish a border for the university is one of the challenges the university is facing, and therefore, we have approached the Surveyor General of Osun State, who has given us a border plan for the university. Even though we are still contesting that because, from what we got, we think it should have been more than that. And therefore, when the Planning Committee for the university was sitting, they were able to get the drone survey of all the land belonging to the university, and we have been able to get that and submit that to the Surveyor General to reconcile so that we can get an accurate figure of what the university land is.

“On the issue of herders’ encroachment and miners, the problem is still there. The herders still come, and of course, without a border, it will be free exit, free entry. They can come from the neighbouring villages and depart; that is still there, as is the issue of miners. We arrested some of them, but then some elders of the community pleaded for them, and they were released.”

The VC also identified huge bills by electricity providers as a key challenge for the institution, adding that there are efforts to provide solar energy for the school.

While commending Governor Ademola Adeleke for funding the institution from scratch, Asaolu explained that funding remains the major challenge facing the institution.

He said no fewer than 67 programmes have been approved for the institution since its establishment 18 months ago.

Asaolu stated that enrolment in education courses has been very poor, stressing the need to save the teaching profession from total collapse.

The VC announced that all the education courses in the school have been made tuition-free to boost enrolment.