The Oyo state government, on Friday, told anyone with the intention to build infrastructure in state-owned schools to approach the state government for appropriate approvals rather than embark on renovations of public property for “political showmanship”.
This call comes after a stop-work order issued, on Thursday, by the state government on some “unknown contractors” found working on the premises of Community Primary School, in Egbeda local government area and Methodist Primary School, Ona Ara local government, without notifying the state government.
The construction, said to have been authorized by the politician, had been purportedly preceded by demolition of some structures on the school premises.
Though the state government, in a statement issued by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa said it was not averse to good-spirited members of the society managing public infrastructure, the Makinde administration will not condone lawlessness and failure to adhere to due process.
The statement however held that the state government had launched an investigation into the circumstances around the illegal demolition of structures on the premises of the two state-owned schools.
“The Government frowns on the demolition of blocks of classrooms at the Community Primary School, Ayepe and Methodist Primary School, Gangansi in Egbeda and Ona-Ara Local Government Areas respectively by some hoodlums purportedly on the order of a National Assembly member from the state.
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“The act, to say the least, is untoward, illegal and totally condemnable. No one, no matter how highly placed, is allowed to unlawfully enter a public school premise and demolish buildings under whatever guise without approval from Government.
“We see this as an act of provocation and lawlessness and as a Government; we will not sit down and watch some lawless individuals have their ways in sabotaging Government by destroying school properties or embarking on renovations of public property using lawless means simply for political showmanship.
“Governor Makinde has said it times and again that his administration is open to working with public-spirited individuals to bring about a massive improvement in the infrastructure in the education and other sectors in the State. But that partnership must follow due process.
“Any individual or politician with the intention to collaborate in building infrastructure in Oyo State schools should know that the schools are public properties under the trust of the Government and they should approach the Government for appropriate approvals.
“Anything short of this is lawlessness and as a Government that has sworn to defend the laws of the land, the Government of Oyo State is ever ready to put every tendency towards lawlessness under the check of the long arms of the law.
“Governor Seyi Makinde has mandated the relevant security agencies to commence an investigation into the circumstances that led to the demolition of the classrooms in the two aforementioned schools.
“The Governor has also given directives that the law enforcement should bring the perpetrators to justice so as to serve as deterrents to other individuals who may want to follow such path of lawlessness,” the statement read.