Osun
State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, is still battling to douse the tension
generated by his new education policy in the state, with the opposition using
it as a campaign issue. OLUSESAN LAOYE reports
For the past three months, the
political atmosphere in Osun State is charged, while the tempo of political
activities has also equally increased with politicians strategising on how
to market their candidacy to both to the party and the electorate ahead of the
coming governorship election in the state and the 2015 general elections.
In Osun State today, it is a fact
that there are two major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The PDP ruled the state for almost
eight years with Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola at the helms of affairs. The APC is
currently in power in the state. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is the man piloting the
ship of the state of the Living Spring.
It is then obvious that the battle for the
soul of Osun in the coming governorship election would be between the two
political parties. This is the more reason why there had been political brick
bats going on in the state majorly among these powerful political parties that
have tasted power before in the state.
These two political parties have
been deploying all that is within their powers to ensure that they win the
election. This to political observers and to many citizens of the state may
have been responsible for the attack on the incumbent governor Aregbesola
by political opponents who have never seen anything good in what
the governor is doing since he assumed office over three years ago.
Ever since he started his programmes
of repositioning the state, with his six integral agenda to banish hunger,
poverty, unemployment, provide free and functional education and to enhance
good and healthy living among the citizens. To the state commissioner of
Information, Hon Sunday Akere, these are well thought out and well
articulated programmes which are found in a green book which should be observed
by anybody that intend to rule Osun state.
According
to some members of the APC, this Green Book has also helped Aregbesola to live
up to expectations in the administration of the state. However, the opposition
PDP has not allowed the governor to rest, always keeping him on his toes and
criticising his policies.
Initially,
the oppositions went all out to condemn his urban renewal programme aimed at
transforming the state into a modern city. They used the programme against the
government of Aregbesola, labelling him the destroyer of the houses of the
common man on the streets. This has also portrayed Aregbesola in bad light
before the residents.
Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, the director of
publicity of the APC is of the view that Aregbesola deserves commendation for
doing all he is doing, but the reverse is the case if not for the type of
opposition politics we play in Nigeria. The latest attack and
criticisms on Aregbesola’s government was however hinged on his education
programmes which, according to some of the governor’s aides is the bed rock of
the state.
The
propaganda against his educational policy became intense and for the past three
months it was like the government was on the firing line. His reclassifications
of schools generated some much heat and direct confrontation to the government.
It
was so to say the right opportunity for the opposition which according to APC
stalwarts has never seen anything good in the Aregbesola’s good programmes for
the state. The opposition is using the schools reclassification as a political
tool against the government. At a stage the policy got some religious
undertone and this was the crucial moment for the governor who according to
Akere meant well for the people of the state because he was prepared for the
job, the task and the challenges of governance. Osun State
was then painted as a state in total disarray.
It
was even during this crucial moment for Aregbesola’s government that the PDP
which had been docile and fragmented began to come together and to organise
rallies using the education policy of the present government as a major
campaign issue in their rallies.
In a bid not to allow the situation not to get
out of hand and also not to toy with the future of Osun pupils, a
non-governmental organisation known as Osun Movement for Peace, decided to rise
up to the challenge and to look at the situation critically so that political
interest would not override the genuine intention of government on education.
To save guard the future of the children of Osun State, the organisation stated
that it believed that education still remains the only legacy that can be given
to ‘’our children’’ particularly those in Osun State.
This
was what actually informed a symposium tagged Osun State Education policy in
perspective: issues and challenges and imperatives, held in Osogbo recently. It
was organised by Osun Movement for Peace and it attracted professional
groups, trade union organisations, the academia, local people, teachers,
religious leaders, industrialists, stakeholders in education, and as well as
government officials in charge of education policy of the government.
At
the symposium, which the Deputy Governor of the State, Mrs Titilayo Laoye
Tomori, delivered the keynote address, while various papers were presented on
how to educate the people on the new education policy of government which was
causing so much tension in the state.
The
Coordinator of Osun Movement for Peace, and the convener of the symposium,
Comrade Temidayo Bankole, said that they had to step into the situation because
the politicians have started using education as a means of campaign because of
the coming governorship election and the 2015 general election.
He
said education is crucial to the people of the state and the people must at
this stage not be carried away with sentiments, but should sit down to look at
the merit of the new policy on education in the state. Education he said is
being used in dirty politicking and this has gotten to a stage when politicians
are no longer looking at the merit of what the government was doing, saying
that this was what informed the symposium so that people can put heads together
to have holistic views of the policy and to prevent politician from using
politics as a tool to destroy education in the state.
He
also frowned at the way the politicians are mixing education with religion to
score cheap points, adding that the Osun Movement for Peace is a
non-governmental organisation and non-partisan, looking for the progress of the
state and its people. In her key note address, the deputy Governor of the state
who is also doubling as the Commissioner of Education enumerated the importance
and benefits of the new policy in education which she said was for the interest
of the people.
She
described it as a great departure from what was obtainable in the past.
According to her, the education policy of the Aregbesola’s administration in
Osun is meant to produce students who can perform excellently and effectively
with their counterparts in advance countries of the world. He further said
that the education policy is to empower the youths to be relevant in the
society at large. According to her, the present government in Osun State
inherited a moribund education sector, from the past government as many school
buildings were dilapidated, while essential materials for learning were not in
existence with the teacher’s morale very low.
Students
she pointed out, were not only misdirected but were discouraged from education
and this according to her was responsible for the low percentage of 3 percent
of pupils moving to the next stage of their academic endeavours at the time the
present government came on board. She was, however, proud to tell
the crowd that today things have changed and within the three years of their
administration, the percentage of pupils admitted in our higher institutions
has increased from 3 percent to 43 percent.
She
pointed out that the present administration has totally overhauled the
education system and training children who would not be useful only
academically, but morally in line with the culture of Omoluabi. The
Deputy Governor said that as part of meeting the standard set, the government
has to introduce meals in primary schools, rebuild the schools and reclassify
them for effective learning. The government, she said paid N400 million
for all the pupils that enrolled for WAEC exams this year.
On
the Tablet of Knowlege which has been politicised by the opposition, Mrs Tomori
said that the tablet is loaded with 17 subjects and other things such as the
Bible, Quran and Yoruba traditional religion, including Ifa. In his own paper
at the symposium, the Vice chairman of Osun schools reclassification committee,
Dr Isiaka Ayodele Owoade, said that the opposition never believed that the
present government could find solutions to the scandalous educational rot and
that was why they were all out to destroy the policy. The rot, he argued was
unbefitting of a state and people that were part of the educational revolution
like, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
According
to him, the Osun educational policy and reform have been the most discussed
public policy in recent times, while he listed the key element of the reforms
such as the ‘’O’’ school massive buildings to replace the old ones.
Standard school uniforms, innovative teaching materials which were
lacking and these include the Tablet of Knowledge ’’Opon Imo’’,
which captures all the text books, O meal the school feeding system for pupils
in elementary schools, Technical and vocational education which caters for
training and retraining outside formal school walls for the citizens not so
academically gifted.
On
the crisis in Osun state education, which has turned to political issues, Dr
Owoade, said there was no crisis in the education of the state, saying that it
was only a rumour by the detractors of the government. He however,
pointed out that for other investments and reforms to yield meaningful results,
the government restructured the schools and the restructuring is now being
tagged crisis.
abiodun KOMOLAFE, AMNIM,
O20, Okenisa Street,
PO Box 153,
Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State,
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