The Ogun State Government has refuted claims that the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, has been renamed Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona University of Education, describing the rumours as misleading and unfounded.
Naija News reports that the government’s clarification follows speculations suggesting that the university had been renamed to honour the late Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who passed away recently.
In a statement issued by the state government on Monday, authorities clarified that an institution already exists in the Awujale’s honour, the Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology (SACOETEC), located in Omu.
The government stated, “There is no change to the status or name of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. The institution continues to bear its original name.”
The statement stressed that Governor Dapo Abiodun, during his remarks at the 8th-day Fidau prayer for the late monarch, merely recalled past efforts by his administration to honour the revered traditional ruler, not announce a new renaming.
The government also offered a historical context, explaining that the Ogun State College of Education was first established in 1977, and in 1994, it was renamed Tai Solarin College of Education, Science and Technology.
In 2005, it was again renamed as Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), a development that sparked disputes with the National Universities Commission (NUC) over the institution’s authority to simultaneously award degrees and NCE qualifications.
To resolve this, the previous administration relocated the Tai Solarin College of Education to Omu, while TASUED in Ijagun retained its name and status.
No Federal Directive to Rename TASUED
The government also noted that TASUED is now under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, and there has been no directive or decision to alter its identity.
“The university remains a symbol of educational innovation and excellence, and there are no plans, spoken or otherwise, to tamper with its name or structure,” the statement added.
The state government urged the public to disregard misinterpretations of Governor Abiodun’s remarks at the funeral prayer.
“While Governor Abiodun reaffirmed the state’s deep respect for the late monarch and highlighted efforts to immortalize him, he did not at any point announce a name change for TASUED,” the statement clarified.
It concluded by advising media outlets and the public to rely on official sources before disseminating sensitive information about state institutions.
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