As the Obokun University, Ilase-Ijesa, prepares for its commissioning, an important question deserves to be asked: How should the performance of a two-term senator be measured?
Is political performance measured only by the number of bills sponsored, motions moved, press statements issued or his influence on his constituency?
Or should we also consider the enduring institutions an elected representative is able to inspire, facilitate or establish during and beyond his years in public office?
Senator Fadahunsi has served two terms representing Osun East in the Senate. That fact is publicly documented. But as he approaches the commissioning of Obokun University, Ilase-Ijesa, perhaps it is time to broaden the conversation about what constitutes meaningful service to the people.
The proposed university is not a political announcement. Reports indicate that the National Universities Commission has given significant approval toward its establishment, while subsequent verification activities have taken place at the proposed institution and massive structure are already on ground.
And that should make every Ijesa person pause and think.
WHAT CAN MAKE A POLITICIAN THINK THIS FAR AHEAD?
Politics is generally associated with immediate returns.
Politicians think about elections, appointments, constituencies, political structures and the next electoral cycle. But getting involved at establishing a university requires a completely different mindset.
A university is a long-term project.
It requires land, buildings, lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, ICT facilities, hostels, administrative structures, academic staff and continuous financial commitment. More importantly, it requires patience because the real dividends may not be visible immediately.
Why would anyone, particularly someone already occupying a prominent political position, decide to facilitate such an enormous responsibility?
Perhaps the answer is legacy.
Political office has a lifespan. A Senate term is four years. Even two terms eventually come to an end. But an educational institution can continue for decades and potentially centuries.
The senator himself is from Ilase-Ijesa, where he was born and had his early education.
That background makes the decision to influence locating such an institution there even more significant.
FROM POLITICAL REPRESENTATION TO INSTITUTION BUILDING
Those questioning Senator Fadahunsi's performance over two terms are entitled to ask questions. Indeed, every public officer should be subjected to scrutiny.
But the scrutiny should be comprehensive.
If somebody asks, “What has Fadahunsi achieved as a two-term senator?”, the answer should not be limited to what appears on a parliamentary attendance sheet or the number of motions he sponsored.
We should equally ask:
What has he contributed to the development of human capital?
What institutions has he helped create?
What opportunities has he opened for young people?
What will remain after his political career?
This is where Obokun University Ilase-Ijesa (OUII) becomes particularly important.
A university can create employment. It can attract students, lecturers, researchers, businesses and investors. It can stimulate economic activity in its host community. It can generate demand for accommodation, transportation, food, retail and other services.
And because it is being established in Ilase-Ijesa, its impact has the potential to extend beyond the immediate town to surrounding communities and the wider Ijesa region.
WHY PUT A UNIVERSITY IN A RURAL COMMUNITY?
For too long, development in Nigeria has been concentrated around major urban centres.
Rural communities produce young people who then travel to cities for education, employment and better opportunities.
Imagine reversing that trend.
Imagine a young person from an Ijesa community being able to obtain a university education closer to home.
Imagine lecturers and researchers relocating to Ilase.
Imagine students from different parts of Nigeria coming to Ilase.
Imagine new businesses emerging because of the presence of thousands of students and workers.
Imagine accommodation, transportation, restaurants, shops, technology businesses and other services developing around the university.
That is how an educational institution can become an economic development engine.
THE COST IS NOT SMALL
It is also important to appreciate the enormous financial commitment involved.
Establishing a credible private university is not the same as putting up a few buildings and attaching a university signboard.
There are regulatory requirements to satisfy. There are academic standards to meet. There are laboratories to equip, libraries to develop, technology infrastructure to provide and qualified personnel to recruit.
And after establishment comes the even bigger challenge of sustainability.
The institution must continue to receive investment if it is to maintain standards and compete with established universities.
Therefore, anyone who undertakes such a project is making a commitment that goes far beyond the politics of today.
IJESA SHOULD LEARN TO DISTINGUISH POLITICS FROM DEVELOPMENT
This is where the current debate needs to mature.
You may disagree with Senator Fadahunsi politically.
You may disagree with his party.
You may disagree with his conduct on particular political issues.
You may even believe that he could have done more during his two terms in the Senate.
Those are legitimate positions.
But disagreement with a politician should not automatically translate into opposition to every development initiative associated with him.
Political opposition is legitimate. Opposition to development simply because of the identity of its promoter is another matter entirely.
If OUII succeeds, its beneficiaries will not ask whether their lecturer voted PDP, Accord Party or APC.
They will not ask which political party the influencers belonged to.
They will care about the quality of education, the opportunities available to them and the future the institution helps them build.
THE REAL SCORECARD
Perhaps, therefore, the question should no longer be simply:
“What did Senator Fadahunsi do in two terms?”
A more appropriate question is:
“What has Senator Fadahunsi contributed to the future of Osun East and Ijesaland—and what will remain when his political career ends?”
Parliamentary performance matters.
Constituency projects matter.
Legislation matters.
Representation matters.
But institution building matters too.
And when the institution in question is a university located in a community that has historically been outside Nigeria's major urban centres of higher education, its potential impact deserves to be taken seriously.
The reported progress toward OUII's establishment, including NUC engagement and verification, shows that this is not merely an idea being discussed in political meetings.
A LEGACY THAT CAN OUTLIVE POLITICS
Elections will come and go.
Senators will change.
Political parties will rise and fall.
But universities can remain.
A graduate who walks through the gates of Obokun University twenty years from now may never have met Senator Fadahunsi. Yet that graduate may still be benefiting from a decision he made today.
That is the essence of legacy.
Therefore, as OUII prepares to take its place in the educational landscape of Ijesaland, those who question Senator Fadahunsi's performance should be encouraged to broaden the conversation.
Criticise his politics if you must. Audit his Senate record if you must. Demand accountability if you must.
But do not ignore the significance of building an institution that has the potential to educate generations of Nigerians, create jobs, stimulate a rural economy and put Ilase-Ijesa on the educational map.
For me, this is the larger point:
A politician's greatest achievement may not always be the loudest thing he says on the floor of the Senate. Sometimes, it may be the institution he leaves behind when the microphones have been switched off.
And if OUII fulfils its promise, its greatest testimony may ultimately come not from politicians, but from the thousands of students whose lives it transforms.
That is the conversation Ijesa should be having.
Beyond politics.
Beyond party lines.
Beyond personal rivalry.
Think Obokun University.
Think Ilase-Ijesa.
Think Ijesa progress.
Think generational legacy.
By Oladimeji Lasore (+2347035105413, [email protected])
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