On Oyo new education system

Permit me a space in your widely read newspaper to comment about the information from the Oyo State government that it just introduced a new education system, Oyo Model Education System Initiative (OYOMESI). This headline, ‘Oyo Govt introduces new education system’, adorned many news platform few weeks ago and this provoked the need to put things right.

I am very surprised with the headline and the contents of the story as the Oyo State Government has been celebrating OYOMESI as part of its reforms programme in education since 2016. It was even listed as part of the achievements of the present administration during its sixth year anniversary and several reports have been written on it to tell the world about the initiative. It is however misleading to state that it is a new education policy. Furthermore, this initiative predates this administration.

No doubt, Governor Ajimobi has done well with the way he handled projects executed by previous administrations and completed by him. Government being continual,   Governor Ajimobi has acted like a true elder statesman by completing projects by previous administration without laying claim to it. However, he should be very careful of overzealous cum over ambitious aides who will want to rubbish his achievements with their own selfish desires.

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For the record, OYOMESi predates this government as earlier said. It was first introduced by Former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala with Professor Taoreed Adedoja as the Commissioner and the initiator being the current Special Adviser to Governor on Education, Dr Bisi Akin-Alabi. She introduced the programme to the previous administration and it was accepted with various activities on it.  It is now surprising that the programme earlier introduced can be tagged as a new education system in the state. While politicians can be pardoned to always engage in activities to outsmart one another, it could be unforgivable for a scholar to try to mislead the general public. OYOMESI is not Koseleri and cannot be termed as one.

This misinformation is not expected from a government that prides itself as the best that could have happened to Oyo State. No doubt, the achievements of this administration are unrivaled but a dark spot on a piece of white cloth will spoil the beauty of the cloth. The Governor of Oyo State can do a check on this information so that he won’t be misled on some of his programmes and policies. I suggest OYOMESI should be tagged re-introduced education system and not new education system.

Rebecca Ayeni

Ibadan,