Revealed: Why Aregbesola Named OSSCE, Ila-Orangun After Adeyemi Oyedotun

The renaming of Osun state owned tertiary institutions by Governor Rauf Aregbesola has been generating controversies in the state since the governor made the announcement on Wednesday at the 4^th and 5^th Convocation of the Bola Ige University, formerly known as Osun state University, UNIOSUN.

Some members of the public claimed that some of the persons whose names were used to name some of the institutions were unknown, while another set of people raised questions on the integrity and credibility of some of the known beneficiaries of the name change.

Part of the acclaimed unknown people is Adeyemi Oyedotun. Aregbesola changed Osun state College of Education, Ila-Orangun to Adeyemi Oyedotun College of Education.

A sizeable number of members of the Osun state community did not actually know Adeyemi Oyeduntan, or his contribution to the development of the state.

But CityMirrorNews learnt that Adeyemi Oyedotun had for long sacrificed his daughter and greed to educational and socio-economic development of Ila-Orangun, which result was the establishment of the college of Education by a former military administrator of Old Oyo state.

CityMirrorNews gathered that Oyedotun’s young girl was knocked down while playing by a government vehicle at the front of her father’s house in 1978, and the little girl died instantly.

The driver of the vehicle, who was a top military man, according to information, felt remorse and asked the bereaved Oyedotun what he would take as compensation.

Oyedotun was said to have demanded for the establishment of “anything that would boost the socio-economic development of his community”.

As a result, Osun state College of Education was established in Ila under the governorship of Brigadier (Later Major-General) David M. Jembewon of the Old Oyo state.

There is no gainsaying the fact that the college has fast-tracked the development of Ila-Orangun.

Naming the institution after Oyedotun was in recognition of the sacrifice he made.

 READ THE SHORT STORY HERE

Adeyemi Oyedotun College of Education, Ila-Orangun 

‘A young girl, playing in front of her parents’ home, was knocked down in an accident by a government vehicle and she died. While commiserating with the father of the deceased toddler, the head of the government and owner of the vehicle asked him to name the compensation he wanted government to give him for the loss of his daughter. The father replied that he would appreciate it if the government could only do anything that might bring socioeconomic development to his native town instead of paying any compensation to him…in 1978.

That patriotic father is Major James Adeyemi Oyedotun(retired);…the town whose development Adeyemi Oyedotun craved for is Ila-Orangun; the “compensation” …paid [for the death]…of the young child of Adeyemi Adedotun is what is today known as the Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun…’

–Oyeniyi Akande, Preface to “Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun(1979-2014): a celebration of thirty-five years of exploits and landmark achievements “(OSSCEILA, 2014).