The governorship candidate of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 2019 in Oyo State, Engr Oyedele Hakeem Alao, has described the free education system of the Engr Seyi Makinde administration as a ruse and the education policy declared as pretentious and deceitful.
Engr Hakeem Alao, in a statement by his media spokesman, Omotayo Iyanda, noted that it was obvious from closer observation and investigation that all indices of a genuine standard education system, let alone whether it is free or not, were missing under the administration of Governor Makinde.
“Very many public schools, primary and secondary, in Oyo State have short supply of chairs and desks, poor infrastructural facilities, including classrooms without windows and leaking roofs. Gone were the days of Chief Ajibola James Ige, the governor of Oyo State from 1979-1983 when there were big school buses for the use of the students and the staff. How will a Governor Makinde who has not been clear in his vision to achieve excellent performance in the state’s education sector record any success?
“There have been reports, particularly about the poor state of public schools across Oyo State. What sort of free education policy is that where students and pupils would carry chairs from home to schools, where pupils and students in both primary and secondary schools sit on the floor, windows of the classrooms, where roofs, windows and ceilings have fallen or falling off, where classes are overcrowded? Just to mention a few, among the schools across all the local governments in Oyo State where there are such decays and eyesores are Eleta High School, Ayegun Olomi Grammar School, Gbedeogun Grammar School, Saka Eso Grammar School, Iroko Grammar School, Otun Agbaakin Grammar School, Oluyole Estate Grammar School, Baptist High School, Ayete, Igangan High School, Ayete High School, Ayete, Ojongbodu Grammar School, Oyo and Ogbomoso Grammar School.
“In the early life of this administration in 2019, they promised to supply 6,500 units of chairs to the public schools in Oyo State in the first quarter of 2020. This was said by many of Governor Makinde’s aides, particularly the then Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Dauda Kehinde Sangodoyin when he featured on Noble FM, being his first time appearance on radio. Where are the sets of chairs till today and when will the chairs get to our pupils in the public schools as they continue to bring seats from home and sitting on rickety chairs and in dilapidating buildings? No single set of chairs and desks have been supplied to schools in the state by this Makinde-led administration.
“The heads of public schools in Oyo State have been cowed into eternal silence over the issue of running cost for schools when Queen’s School, Apata, Ibadan, was accused of collecting “illegal fees” from their students last year. Are we saying such fees are not being levied and collected in public schools in Oyo State again? When leaders are deceitful and fail in their responsibilities, sure the followers would devise a way out.
“In a similar vein, deceit and scam have also been observed in some of the textbooks distributed free to the public secondary school students in the state as they contain contents and topics that are not consistent/compatible with the curriculum. Second, the free distribution of book scheme has ceased since after the first one the Makinde government did in late 2019. This turn of event will make any sane man conclude that the first distribution is just a “saka manje” —nothing but ruse and deceit!
“So much irregularities and sharp practices have also been noticed in the recently concluded TESCOM teaching recruitment, ranging from archaic and shoddy arrangement to manipulation. Of a particular concern, however, is the so-called “stepped down successful candidates” who have passed the TESCOM’s exams and interviews. How on earth will you say you discovered irregularities in their applications after their appointment letters have been prepared?
“Same unfair treatment and shady deal were initially meted to the People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) in the TESCOM recruitment as reported by an online newspaper, City Hill News. We thank Governor Makinde for the instruction that the matter of PLWDs be resolved without further delay.
“So, we call on Pastor Akinade Alamu, the TESCOM chairman, Mrs Grace Bisi Oderinde, the permanent secretary in the commission and the Management Information Centre to settle whatever is the problem between them to, please, resolve this issue of the so-called stepped down successful candidates in time so you will not subject these young men and women to undeserved agonizing trauma for too long.
“Also, Governor Makinde should assemble a strong think-tank that can revamp the collapsing educational sector in Oyo State if he is not ready to adopt the policies of his predecessor, Senator Isiak Abiola Ajimobi. This pretentious postures and know-all approach cannot take Oyo State anywhere.”
Engr Alao said the state needs very urgent sincere attention and intervention, although the allocation to education by this administration in the 2021 budget is commendable, implementation, thorough supervision and compliance are very germane.
