Former Senator Ayo Arise, who represented Ekiti North between 2007 and 2011, has clarified his personal involvement in the founding of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE). Arise stated that he initiated the request for the institution immediately following President Goodluck Jonathan’s November 2010 announcement to launch six new federal universities.
Addressing reporters in Ado-Ekiti, Arise detailed how he formally petitioned the Ministry of Education, meeting with officials including the late Minister of State for Education, Kenneth Gbagi, as well as academic leaders like Professor Peter Okojie and Professor Mahmood Yakubu. During these sessions, Oye-Ekiti was identified as a viable location, bolstered by existing infrastructure from a previous teacher training college.
Arise addressed claims regarding other contributors, specifically mentioning Femi Ajayi. He described Ajayi as a supportive contact within the Presidency who helped deliver his messages to President Jonathan, though he maintained he was the primary driver of the request for the institution’s site. Furthermore, Arise acknowledged the mediation of former Governor Kayode Fayemi, noting that they eventually resolved land disputes by creating a dual-campus system that assigned the Faculty of Agriculture to Ikole-Ekiti.
Reflecting on these events, the former senator urged the public to view the history of the university with accuracy and to move past political biases when discussing how the school was established.
