Vice Chancellor, University of Ilesa, Ilesa, Osun State, Professor Taiwo Asaolu has warned unauthorised persons against farming, hunting, harvesting crops and farm produce in the institution’s farm, noting that the farm is now a restricted arca.
He added that whoever contravenes the directive shall be appropriately sanctioned.
Prof. Asaolu gave the warning on Wednesday during the official hand-over of his farm to the institution to serve as a Model Integrated Teaching and Research Farm and commissioning of Faculty of Law buildings.
The VC also urged managers of the school farm to take its maintenance seriously as poor handling of equipments, neglect of animals, ripping off of funds and any untoward action or inaction will not be tolerated.
He said; “At a meeting of the Principal Officers of the University with all the lecturers of the Agricultural Science Education Unit, I tasked the lecturers to come up with a proposal on the establishment of a Teaching and Research Farm in the University. The proposal that I subsequently received got me surprised because it was capital intensive and may be difficult to implement so soon. I then took it upon myself to start something on a small scale, starting with 4 cows bought at Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000:00) each, 4 sheep and 1 ram.
“Up until January, 2024, 1 still consider the Farm as my own, but an Incident occurred when the Area Commander of Police visited the University. We took him on a guided tour around the campus. On getting to the Faculty of Law, we saw some herdsmen who intruded into the campus, the Police Officer called them and warned them against bringing their herds Into the University. As we were still standing, we saw another set of cows around the same area. Thinking it was from another set of intruders, we were about to summon the herdsmen before some staff on my entourage cautioned us by saying “THEY ARE OUR OWN”, “THEY ARE OUR OWN”.
“This statement brought out some emotions in me as it gladdened my heart that my staff of the University have taken ownership of the cows. There and then, I decided to donate the Farm to the University.
“May I reiterate Management’s position that this farm is now a restricted arca. Unauthorized persons should not be seen farming, harvesting crops and farm produce or hunting in this area. Whoever contravenes this directive shall be appropriately sanctioned.
“To the Managers of the farm, its maintenance must be taken seriously. Poor handling of equipment such as not switching off water pumping machine as required; neglecting the animals, ripping off of funds released for the farm and any untoward action or inaction should not be heard.”
