The students of the Christian Mission School for the Deaf in Ibadan, Oyo State, have protested against selling their school land to political office holders and individuals.
The students, who displayed placards with varying inscriptions, passionately pleaded to Governor Seyi Makinde to stop encroachers from taking over their land, which they laboured hard to acquire, for the proposed establishment of the first university for the deaf in Africa.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, “The deaf have the right to live; Please, do not snatch our lands; Don’t punch the deaf in the face; Please, do not oppress the deaf; The deaf are helpless, help us and many more.
Speaking on behalf of the school’s management, Dr Gbenga Idowu, a member of the school’s advisory board, said, “We bought the land in 2005, and the problem started when the state government acquired the land in 2018 without prior notice even though we duly registered the property with them.
“We have no power of our own. We are not happy about the encroachment. We have only 39 acres. In a saner clime, the government will fully support us due to the disability of these innocent and helpless children. If our government will not help us, they should leave us with the little we struggled to get.
“A senator is coming to take the land of the poor. What for? There are many other lands everywhere. Why should it be the land of these defenceless, innocent children you want to take by force?
“This deaf school is not meant for Christians alone; there are Muslim children among these students who come from all over the country. Governor Seyi Makinde should help us do all he can to protect us from these encroachers.
“Driven by a profound commitment to expand our reach and provide comprehensive training, encompassing primary, secondary, vocational, agricultural, and even university education, a pioneering initiative for the deaf in Nigeria and the African continent, we embarked on a mission to buy a larger expanse of land.
“Through the generous contributions of compassionate families, friends, and supporters who share our unwavering love for the Deaf. This land represents a beacon of hope, a tangible step towards realising our vision of a self-sufficient and empowered Deaf community.
