Encomium
FOLLOWING the approval of Mountain Top University by the Federal Government, the private institution of higher learning is now set to commence operation.
To this effect, MTU has already begun to shop for a Vice Chancellor. The university on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway owned by Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) is also reportedly recruiting lecturers.
However, when ENCOMIUM Weekly visited MTU on Saturday, May 2, 2015, the place was begging for serious attention as over grown grasses have taken over its major entrance in Makogi, Oba, Ogun State.
There was also no security to man the gates.
But a further look revealed some of the new university’s already completed structures almost ready to admit its pioneer students.
We could not reach MTU management to know exactly when the university is officially taking off. But a top official of MFM who was not authorised to speak for MTU informed us that with provisional operational licence secured by the university, there’s nothing stopping it from kicking off next academic session.
He also told ENCOMIUM Weekly that MTU, which has excellence and character formation as its watchword, would be the best university in the world.
The Federal Government on February 25, 2015 approved the establishment of nine new private universities in Nigeria. Four of which are in Ogun State.
The nine approved new universities are Augustine University, Iloran, Lagos State; Chrisland University, Owode, Ogun State; Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State; Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele, Ogun State; Kings University, Odeogun, Osun State; Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Orode, Delta State; Mountain Top University, Makogi Oba, Ogun State; Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State and Summit University, Ofah Kwara State.
With this, Nigeria now has 59 private universities and 79 federal and state-owned ones.
Interestingly, about fifteen of the higher institutions are located in Ogun State. They include, McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ajebo (Foursquare Gospel Church), and the Southern University, Okun-Owa.
Until recently, the Redeemer’s University, Mowe, owned by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, with its permanent site now in Osun State, had been operating in the State. In fact, the university still maintains skeletal operations in Mowe.
The new universities in Ogun State approved by the Federal Government in February are Chrisland University, Owode; Christopher University, Mowe; Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele, and the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries-owned Mountain Top University Makogi, Oba.
Public universities in the state are the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, and the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode.
The 39-year-old State, with a land mass of 16,980.55 km2 (6,556.23 sq mi) and a population of 3,751,140 (2006 census), also has three polytechnics, consisting of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta; Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro; and the D.S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori. It also hosts the Tai Solarin University of Education, Omu-Ijebu and the Federal College of Education, Osiele.
UCHE OLEHI
