Conversion Of Public Library Facilities To Shopping Malls Unacceptable, Oyo APC To Makinde

Reported by Ayooluwa Afolabi And Ojo Racheal

The Oyo State chapter of the All-Progressives Congress, APC, has described the recent conversion of some structures housing the Oyo State Library Board in Ibadan as unacceptable.

Daily Post reports that the party made this declaration via a statement.

APC Publicity Secretary Wasiu Olawale Sadare signed the statement.

It recently observed the sudden erection of massive structures believed to be private business complexes and shopping malls within the premises of the Oyo State Library Board, where the defunct Western Region government built public libraries and other facilities that have been put into premium use by students, researchers, and tourists, among others.

APC, in its reaction, condemned the action.

It also raised the alarm over another alleged ridiculous sale of the entire modern motor park facility at Wema Area on New Ife Road, Ibadan built by the administration of late Senator Abiola Ajimobi. Sources say the Park has been sold to a pastor who presides over a popular church located close to it.

The party in the statement described the state government action, led by Governor Seyi Makinde, as shameful and ill-conceived but also grossly unacceptable.

The party, while speaking further, wondered why a government would turn a library into shops.

“It is a sad reality that the buildings that used to serve as public libraries and archive in Dugbe axis of Ibadan have now paved the way for the development of commercial and business structures and the implication of this is that education and research development have been relegated to the background in the state by the same administration, which has refused to address the issue of poor reading culture among young students.

“Without mincing words, the word ‘library’ is now strange to many students in public primary and secondary schools in Oyo State because the government does not care to build such facilities or fix the existing ones, which require good attention.

How can a government wake up one day and convert public reading facilities and archives into lock-up shops in the name of making money and thereby subject the entire society to the danger of illiteracy and ignorance?

“It has also got to that stage when silence is no longer golden as all well-meaning individuals and stakeholders should begin to ask Gov. Makinde questions on why he keeps selling off public heritage and properties that his government inherited from previous administrations.

In the same vein, we have had cases of fraudulent leases or concession of public facilities to proxies as it happened to OYSADEP Guest House in Saki and Agbowo Shopping Complex in Ibadan.

“Sad enough, the ignoble activities of the governor and a few other characters around him as they involve mismanagement of land and other resources belonging to the state have paved the way for the surge in the cases of land grabbing in most parts of the state capital.

There have been many cases of land grabbing involving some appointees of the governor, PDP lawmakers, serving local government officials, and chieftains of the ruling party. Meanwhile, this trend has to stop now.” Oyo APC stated.