Former Senator representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, Senator Ayo Arise, has said attempts to deny his role in the establishment of the *Federal University Oye-Ekiti, (FUOYE), are unfair and amount to a distortion of history.
Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti , Arise, who served in the National Assembly between 2007 and 2011, said he initiated the process that led to the siting of the university in Oye-Ekiti following President Goodluck Jonathan’s announcement in November 2010 to establish six new federal universities in states without one.
Arise expressed concern that some individuals were trying to take credit for the university, adding that such efforts were aimed at diminishing the contributions of those who worked hard to bring the institution to the district.
According to him,” the narrative now going round that other people facilitated FUOYE is not correct. I was the one who engaged the Federal Government and pushed for Oye-Ekiti to become the permanent location of the university”.
The former lawmaker recalled that shortly after the President’s pronouncement, he began consultations and lobbying within the corridors of power in Abuja to ensure that Ekiti North was considered.
“Efforts to diminish my role in FUOYE are unfair. History must be placed in proper perspective so that those who did the work are duly recognized,”
He noted that the establishment of FUOYE remains one of the landmark achievements of his tenure and has since opened access to tertiary education for thousands of indigenes of Ekiti North and beyond.
The former senator urged stakeholders, traditional rulers and political leaders in the state to guard the history of the university jealously and ensure that facts are not rewritten for political convenience.
“The same set of people selling the concocted lies we are reading today, festered the ember of hatred between many sons and daughters of Ikole who believed that Ayo Arise relocated the University from Ikole to Oye Ekiti. This was not the case as nobody requested for the University until I had submitted my letter and had met with Hon. Gbagi, Professor Okojie and Professor Yakubu.
“I became the Chairman Senate Committee on Privatization in July 2007. Vice President Jonathan as at that time was the statutory chairman of the National Council on Privatization. My committee had direct oversight responsibility for the Council that the Vice President chaired.
“We had a good working relationship and out of respect for his office I went to his office to hold my committee discussion with him at the villa periodically. This relationship lasted until he became the Acting President on the 9th of February 2010 and later President on May 6th, 2010.
“This represented over two and a half years of working relationship prior to the issue of University establishment.
“Mr. Femi Ajayi, a decent gentleman had his relationship with President Jonathan without any doubt when they served together at Iresi. The President made him his SSA diaspora, later the Director-General of NDLEA and finally the Executive Secretary of PTDF for about 20 months until he was disengaged in February 2016 by Jonathan due to agency reshuffle.
“Dr. Femi Ajayi was the person I could most easily reach at the Presidency, and he reliably conveyed my messages to Mr. President.
“If I had routed my letters and occasional gifts through official channels, I could only have guessed whether they reached the President or what response they received. One of the gifts I sent was Decision Points by George W. Bush.
“As far as I am concerned, Dr. Femi Ajayi remains a good man. Through the various federal positions he held, he had opportunities to serve the people of Aiyegbaju, and I believe there are many testimonies to his impact in that regard.