Full text of Chief Obafemi Awolowo: speech to Oyo State House of Assembly in Ibadan on Wednesday, 16th January, 1980. This is the speech in which Chief Awolowo listed his main achievements as Premier of Western Region of Nigeria from January, 1952, to December, 1959.
BECAUSE of official attitude to the scheme, Chief S.O. Awokoya, now Professor of Education at the University oflfe, had to prepare his White paper on the scheme, based on the Action Group Policy Paper previously prepared by Chief M.A. Ajasin, now Governor of Ondo State, and adopted at the inaugural Conference of the Party at Owo. Later, I had to prepare the Exco Memoranda on the implementation of the scheme as it related to education and Health Levy, and the construction of low-cost classrooms.
Now, the offsprings of the old Western Region—Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and Bendel States—are at it again. But this time on a much grander scale than we dared to essay in 1955. For, today in
these five dynamic States, education is free not only at primary level, but also at secondary and tertiary levels as well. As we all know, by free education at these levels is meant non-payment of .’ fees by whatever name called, together with free supply of textbooks to pupils and students.
Those who protested vehemently some six months ago that the introduction of this laudable scheme from I st October, 1979, could not be accomplished because of non-existent difficulties which they imagined in their heads can now see how very wrong they were, and how muddled their thought-processes had been. For the scheme is now more than three months old; and, in about five months from now, it would have completed one full academic session.
Here then in the five UPN-controlled States, a new historic pace has been set; a new revolutionary impulse has been generated; and, by God’s Grace, this new dialectical progression will not only endure as its predecessor, but will also pervade the entire Federation of Nigeria.
It is not given to many a thinker or theoretician to see his ideas or theories practicalised in his lifetime; nor to more than a few pioneers to witness the fructification and ripening of their endeavours, and take part in the glorious harvest.
Today, it was exactly twenty- five years ago when I had the honour to launch the Free Universal Primary Education Scheme for the Western Region of Nigeria here in Ibadan on 17th January, 1955.
Tomorrow will be the beginning of another natal cycle for the Scheme. The youngest of the founding pupils of th, Scheme are now 31 years of age. I t stands to reason, therefore, to bay that many of them now occupy important positions in all the spheres of useful activities throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Indeed a good number of our legislators in the five UPN-controlled States are products of that Scheme which was launched twenty-five years ago. As a matter offact, the planners of these silver jubilee celebrations are products of the Scheme, and are mostly self-employed professionals and businessmen.
Today, my joy knows no bounds, as one of the planners and executants of the old Scheme, and as one of the planners of the new Scheme which is now unfolding before us with unparalled speed.
I seize this opportunity to congratulate, with all my heart, three classes of people: first, those products of the old Scheme who are alive today to witness these silver jubilee celebrations; second, our five Governors – Chief M.A. Ajasin, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, Professor Ambrose Ali, and Alhaji L.K. Jakande – for the excellent manner and adorable despatch with which they have set about the execution of the UPN’s four cardinal programmes, with special reference to free education at all levels; and, third, the lucky children of the five UPN-controlled States who are now benefiting and who, from generation to generation in the years to come, will benefit from the new education programme.
A fter launching the free primary education programme in the morning twenty-five years ago, I also did a radio broadcast to the people of the Western Region, on the night of the same day. I concluded the broadcast in the following words:
‘…The opportunity which the Government of this Region’ offers to all of Lis in the way of education of our children is far-reaching. I appeal to all of you to seize this opportunity in real earnest. I do not at all minirnise the problems that are bound to confront us as we proceed with the execution of all our educational schemes.