Social group advocates bridging educational, infrastructural gaps in Oyo communities

Amid pervading cries about marginalisation and neglect of certain sections of the Nigerian societies and areas in terms of the reach of federal presence, a socio-political group in Oyo State has, again, made a strong case for Oke-Ogun in Oyo North senatorial district of the state.

The group made the plea to the federal and state governments on the need to address the collapse in the education and social infrastructure of the 10 local governments of Oke-Ogun area.

ASIKO, according to the Public Relations Officer of the group, Engr. Ganiyu Owolabi, derives from the first letters of the names of towns and villages in Oke-Ogun: A-Ago Are, AdoAwaye; S- Saki, Sepeteri, I- Igboho, Iganna, Igbeti; K-Kisi, Komu; O- Ofiki, Okeko, and it was established in 1979 by a group of like minds who were Ghanaian returnees and had schooled and made friends while in Ghana,

At its 40th anniversary held at the AnsaruDeen High School, Saki, recently, apart from making a case to governments to address the challenges facing the area, the group also used the occasion to contribute its quota to addressing the challenges in the education sector when it organised quiz competitions across the 10 local government areas of Oke-Ogun. The group went ahead to give cash prizes and certificates to winners to encourage scholarship and increase students’ interest in education.

Speaking at the event, the chairman on the occasion, Ambassador David Adejuwon, the Otun Are Akerewolu of Sakiland and president of the Conclave for Social, Economic and Industrial Development of Oke-Ogun (COSEIDOO), said all well-meaning Oke-Ogun indigenes must rally round on the issue of the development of the area.

Also speaking, the guest lecturer at the event, Hon. Adam Folaranmi, a Senior Lecturer at the Oyo State College of Education, Oyo, who spoke on the topic: ‘Infrastructure Breakdown And Educational Collapse in Oke-Ogun Area of Oyo State: The Way Forward,’ informed the gathering that the difficulties the people of Oke-Ogun “are currently facing in terms of lack of roads, water infrastructure and lack of any federal tertiary institution as well as a general state of neglect in the area of education call for urgent attention.”

He called upon all groups, social clubs and well-meaning individuals in Oke-Ogun to join hands in getting the state and federal governments to pay attention and make effort at reactivating the broken down infrastructure.

In attendance at the 40th anniversary were prominent Oke-Ogun indigenes such as Alhaji Sulaiman Oroyinyin, a retired Commissioner of Police; Chief R.A. Akande, a retired Permanent Secretary, TESCOM; representatives of ANCOPSS from the local government areas in Oke-Ogun and members of ASIKO, including its president, Alhaji Jimoh Atanda Gbadamosi.