In terms of records in educational attainments, Ogun State is to Nigeria what Boston is to the United States of America. Both are acclaimed capitals of education in the two capitalist countries. Ogun boasts of the highest number of tertiary institutions, especially universities and polytechnics, graduates and academics in the country. Alas, this attainment is disappearing fast owing to sheer neglect of education by previous governments.
As education is concerned, the past administrations in the state can be likened to a proverbial taskmaster, who only knows how to take away from the proceeds, but never cares about how the seed is planted, watered and attended to. Some institutions in the Gateway State are at the brink of being referred to as just banking on the glories of yesteryears with no substance to show for. The nose-diving standard of education in Ogun apparently became worsened during the past government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who wasted tens of billions of naira on Model Colleges that were never completed.
Worried by the nightmare that the educational Eldorado of this blessed country has turned out to, Governor Dapo Abiodun has sprung into action to mend the shattered four walls of the educational ecosystem from the primary to higher levels. The governor seems not to dwell on infrastructural development drive alone but has taken the bull by the horn to fine-tune the decayed educational system. He is attending to urgent matters that concern students and teachers, especially in tertiary institutions to improve and achieve the SDGs 4 agenda in his state.
Worthy of note is the heightened level of welfare Abiodun has accorded teachers, which is evident in the prompt payment of salaries and allowances to both teaching and non-teaching staff in state-owned schools and colleges. As a lover of onward movement, he has directed that promotional examination and interview for career elongation of primary school teachers to Grade level 15 be carried out. Recently, he approved the release of 2016 and 2017 promotion for 10, 000 teachers.
Barely five months in office, Abiodun has facilitated the release of UBE 2014-2017 Intervention Fund. He tirelessly and passionately worked towards the release of the fund to ensure the immediate commencement of critical projects including procurement of laboratory equipment, ICT, classrooms, toilets, furniture and instructional materials. Commenting the waves of transformation hitting education in the state, Secretary, Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, Wasiu Olalekan Kuye, anticipated that education sector would witness massive and unprecedented improvement and turnaround by the time the projects commence.
Sustenance culture is a mini-demon that most elective officeholders have always run away from. It has eaten deep into the flesh of our systems and made bad things worse; hence, the immediate intervention of Abiodun to bring balance into the system. This, he has commenced by partnering with UNICEF to train and retrain 180 headteachers, assistant headteachers and officers on effective record and correct filling of Annual School Census. Also, training has been held for quality assurance officers on minimum standard and quality assurance instrument.
Abiodun has displayed express faithfulness to his inaugural speech wherein he emphatically stated that come what may, his government would prioritize qualitative and functional education for the people of Ogun State. “It will please you to know that Public-Private Partnership has also been yielding great results in the educational sector, fostering the reception of private interventions from individuals, organizations and foundations. Notable amongst these interventions was the recent donation of 45, 000 textbooks and educational materials to public primary schools in the state which was facilitated by the governor’s wife, Bamidele Abiodun.
September 20th, 2019, will forever remain a defining moment in the educational history of Ogun State. That day, a maiden educational stakeholders’ forum was held wherein the governor was briefed about the current level of development in the sector. The meeting provided an opportunity for discussion, questions, answers and also recommendations that could help in moving the sector forward speedily.
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The School-Based Management Committee-School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP), after being adopted by the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, delivered unto Baptist School, Alaari in Ipokia Local Government Area, a grant of N7m under the initiative. The grant would be used to improve facilities in the school as identified by the community during need assessment. The benefitting community provided 10 per cent of the total grant in cash or kind as their contribution to the project, while the balance of 90 per cent was provided by the Federal Government.
Life is now breathed into Moshood Abiola Polytechnic after the controversial takeover from MAUSTECH without any concrete plan in place. This has affected plans of many students in the institution and also resulted in the loss of prospective students since prospective students seeking admission into National Diploma programmes were denied admission for two sessions. After many years, the much-talked-about MAPOLY Radio has got its license. This is a good way to redeem the good name of the institution whose flag hoists on the arms of Mass Communication and its prestige in the media industry.
Tai Solarin College of Education, after constant sickness, is now back on its feet, beaming with new life, owing to the photosynthetic approach given to it by the Iperu-born businessman and the committee he placed to look into dwindling fortunes of the renowned college of education.
This man has not come to play. He meant business and I’m sure everyone would attest to his lack of laxity in every sector. Now, he has stopped the payment of any levy in public primary and secondary schools, vowing stiff penalty for any head of school who defaults. This gesture is to emphasize his promise to ensure free education is enjoyed across the board.
Abiodun achieved these feats in the critical sector by surrounding himself with capable and highly experienced people. Considering the importance of education, coupled with his determination to restore its almost lost glory, he appointed two educationists as special advisers to oversee affairs of the sector. Ronke Soyombo, who was in charge of Education Quality Assurance in Lagos State, was appointed Special Adviser on primary, secondary and technical education. The pioneer vice-chancellor of Afe Babalola University, who was also among the 23-man transition committee of the then governor-elect, heads the Education, Youth and Sports subgroup. Prof. Mrs Sidi Osho was appointed Special Adviser in charge of Tertiary Education. Following the cheery news, education stakeholders have applauded the appointments of these two prominent daughters of Ogun State and assured that maximum support would be rendered to them in their quest to take back the lost glory of the state in the education.
Abiodun had, during the just-concluded 2019 Teachers’ Day Celebration on October 5, announced the reinstatement of two teachers sacked by Amosun regime. This feat also got wide commendations from far and near.
As a personage grounded in native intelligence, who is also akin to the Yoruba maxim: the child you fail to raise well will eventually sell the house you built, Abiodun is keen on building a legacy whereby street urchins will become silenced and development will overtake the mind of many. The best form of development is that of the mind because it will aid the sustenance of infrastructural development.
Dapo Abiodun is a doer and he needs the unity of all stakeholders for effectiveness.
“Igbega Ipinle Ogun, ajose gbogbo wa ni o.”
• Olamide Lawal is a political activist and writes from Abeokuta.
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