Osun Defender Online Version Of October 6, 2023

Education In Osun; Gains, Reverses And Suggestions For A Rebirth

•Continued from Page 1

Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in State of Osun for credit passes and above in English, Mathematics and five other subjects from 2006 to 2010 was 15.68%. Vocational education was at its lowest ebb. Gangsterism, thuggery and indiscipline, openly displayed in the society, permeated the schools. The infrastructure in many of the schools were dilapidated and not supportive of serious learning. Such environments could not breed innovation.

When those in schools are not learning, it compounds and encourages out of school children. However, poverty and ignorance of parents - more of ignorance than poverty - are the biggest enemies and major causes of having children of school age out of school.

Out of school children in large numbers is an epidemic and great danger, because children out of school pose dangers in the future to those children in school and the whole society, just as we see with Boko Haram and similar tragedies all over the world.

Having campaigned to “Promote Functional Education” with a “Vision to eradicate the frustration of youths, caused by education that does not lead to employment” and the plan to “Focus on functional education; education that makes one useful to one’s self and society”, the government led by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola declared an emergency on education in 2011 to correct these anomalies. (Ref: “My Pact with the people of the State of Osun”)

He went to town like a man possessed, almost fanatic and as written elsewhere, he endeavoured that the governance of State of Osun under him, transcended the level of “Schooling for the People”. It operated at the level of “Quality World Class Education for All” with a vision of “Sustainable prosperity in individual life and society.”

Government built world class model schools - Elementary, Middle, High and Vocational - delivering the right environments for learning and culture. It brought sanity. The Principals and Head Teachers reported that no parent wanted his/ her child sent out of any of those schools. In fact, no child wanted to be involved in any inappropriate behaviour that could earn such tough sanctions.

More than three thousand teachers were employed and deployed to schools. To ensure quality teachers were employed, an initial recruitment examination which was suspected to have been compromised was cancelled and Joint Admissions Examination Board (JAMB) was recruited to conduct a fresh one.

Another six thousand graduate teachers (and assistant teachers) engaged through the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) Teacher Corps were deployed to schools. Train-

ing and capacity development became priority for teachers, Heads of schools and Principals.

Principals and School heads were empowered to “govern” their schools and share responsibility for performance. Performance evaluation of schools, after WASSCE results were released, were jointly conducted to strengthen areas of weaknesses.

Through the school feeding programme O-Meals, that won several international recognition and other activities in support of education, State of Osun recorded highest school enrolment, reducing out of school children.

Through the Community Based School Management Committees (Boards, Councils), the Quality Assurance and Morality Enforcement Agency and Education Marshals etc., parents and society were partnered with for success. Partnerships were set up with educational administrators with international experience and with universities for administration of schools.

Beyond schools, an ethical reorientation based on Omoluabi ethos was introduced into the society.

The efforts paid off. The results - as confirmed recently from the reported speech of the Chairman of the Education Summit 2023 of the current government - confirmed it. All the positive indices went up. A new dawn had set in. The signs of progress in education were all around.

Unfortunately, through acts of omission and commission, quite a number of these efforts have been abandoned, discontinued or reversed even though there were comprehensive documentation for reference. Direct and indirect access of enquiry to those involved previously could also have been employed to seek better understanding.

The results of performance in education in State of Osun after these reversals are also public and available on Nigerian Bureau of Statistics portal, beyond any political misrepresentations.

To solve a problem, you need to understand the root cause and not just the effects. Unfortunately, not many people in government - whether career civil servants or public servants - care enough to seek to have enough understanding. Managers of education do not even care to update themselves on the currently applicable Policies on Education.

For example, to solve the problems of attitude to learning and out of school syndrome, you need to understand the sociographics and demographics of the average parent with children in government schools, their vulnerability and their challenges. Most of the outspoken elites don’t have their children in government schools; they took them out several years ago, to private schools. Many of their prescriptions are based on assumptions.

Adult education, reorientation and campaign on ‘’Responsible Parenting and Parental Responsibilities’’ (RP&PR) - in partnership with Traditional rulers - is part of what is required to change and uphold the narrative on education positively.

Learning outcomes of children, their character, literacy, numeracy, critical

•Continued on Page 7

Osun Lawmakers Moves To Address Out Of School Children, Provides Scholarship

Yusuf Oketola

THE lawmaker represen ng Obokun Cons tuency at the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewumi Adeyemi, has called on well-meaning individuals in the society to join hand in addressing the challenge of Out of School Children in the state.

According to Adeyemi, the society will be be er off if children of school age are taken away from the streets to give them quality educa on.

The lawmaker stated this while rolling out scholarship for 72 children, among who are 21 Out of School children who he enrolled in school.

Popularly known as Irekandu, the lawmaker, through his Adewumi Adeyemi Founda on under the “Irekandu Back to School Project”, provided school uniforms, wri ng materials and learning aids such as backpacks, textbooks, exercise books, cash among others to primary and secondary kids on Monday.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that 51 beneficiaries of the scholarship were on the verge of being withdrawn from school by their parents when they could no longer fund their educa on.

The 39-year-old lawmaker disclosed that while canvassing for votes, he was quite dissa sfied with

Group Calls For Strict Compliance To Teachers Retirement Age

•Warns Adeleke Against Politicising Process

Yusuf Oketola

THE Commi ee for the Defence Of Human Rights (CDHR), Osun State Chapter, has called on the state government to adhere strictly to the policy guideline on the new re rement age of teachers.

Chairman of the CDHR in the State, Comrade Emmanuel Olowu, in a le er addressed to the office of the Head of Service, said there is the need for the full implementa on of the policy guidelines to ensure new breeds and energe c fresh graduates are given employment.

Olowu, in the le er obtained by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, noted that the implementa on will also help the government to understand the cost of paying the salary of a level 17 staff which can pay the salaries of three fresh graduates.

He warned Adeleke not to poli cise the process “as done by the former administra on of Adegboyega Oyetola.”

The le er reads in part: “As a human rights organisa on, whose area is campaign for the full implementa on of the Social Rights of the ci zens, it makes it mandatory that we call the a en on of the Osun State government to the ac on of the past administra on in Osun on the implementaon of extension of years of service in the state, pu ng into considera on the level of unemployment of young and energe c graduates.

“We would like you to recall that a circular was issued by the office of the

the number of unenrolled children his team managed to gather.

He stated that one of the out of school children is Samuel who he met si ng with Okada riders where he had gone to sell local soaps.

“I became intrigued by him. His age and the things he needed to do to survive scared me. In addi on to purchasing everything he was selling as a gi for others in a endance, I asked him where he went to school and learned that he had quit. I instantly re-enrolled him. We then launched our Back to School Project”, he stated.

Adeyemi said he’s purposely driven by service to humanity, saying: “As a lawmaker, I receive no cons tuency allowance but I’m purposely driven by service. But I promised to support my cons tuents, par cularly with regard to issues involving educa on.

Head of Service, with reference NO. SMD. 61/VOL. 111/36, dated 31st of May, 2022, tled Guidelines on the Implementa on of the New Re rement Age and Length of Service for the Teaching Profession.

“More so, it is worthy of note that the policy is a Federal Government Policy, under the administra on of former President Mohammed Buhari and was domes cated in Osun state under the leadership of Mr. Gboyega Oyetola in his declara on during the celebraon of Workers’ Day on 1st of May, 2022, which the implementa on commenced same day.”

CDHR stated some of the reasons it was calling for the implementa on and strict compliance of the policy, are “to ensure the full implementa on of the policy guidelines, ensure that new breeds and energe c fresh graduates are given employment.

“To help the government understands the cost of paying the salary of a level 17 staff which can pay the salary of three fresh graduates.

“It should be noted that poli cians should understand that poli cs and policy formula on in a democracy should not be mixed with poli cs because policy formula on is a driving force towards an organized society.

“Kindly note that the previous administra on domes cated the policy a month before the governorship elec on which informs us that it was done to gather votes and not to advance the teaching profession.”

“We began with 21 kids and now we have removed 71 kids from the streets, and we willl have more. Every child in Nigeria has a right to educa on.”

Speaking at the event, 43-year-old Wumi Omotosho revealed that her husband and her had considered appren ceship for their son when they could no longer afford the cost of his secondary school educa on.

Omotosho appreciated Adeyemi for considering her son as one of the beneficiaries of the scholarship for secondary school children.

“We as a family are unable to feed our children two square meals a day, and we will s ll be required to purchase textbooks, exercise books, and school supplies. We just cannot afford these things. We have been considering how to tell our first child that he must miss school so that his siblings can attend”, she stated.

A primary six student named Omotosho Sunday expressed his gratude and apprecia on to Adeyemi, saying he was grateful to be one of the recipients since the writing materials he received will greatly aid his academic progress.

In his remarks, the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Wale Egbedun, said the project has no doubt posi vely impacted the lives of the youngsters.

Egbedun applauded Adeyemi on the gesture, calling on other lawmakers and individual to imitate the programme.

“The results of performance in education in State of Osun after these reversals are also public and available on Nigerian Bureau of Statistics portal, beyond any political misrepresentations”

3

Strengthening Public Education In Osun: Separating Politics From Policies

EVERYWHERE on the planet earth, one thing defines the scope of things and how the world traverses through the earth which travels every 24 hours. That thing is called knowledge. It is the ability to know, think, decide, obtain informa on and act on it. It means every step aimed at libera ng one’s mind, posi on such mind for greatness and generate ideas for development.

These asser ons speak to one thing which is known as Educa on. The Oxford Advanced Learners Dic onary defines Educa on as the process of receiving or giving systema c instruc on, especially at a school or university. It is a gradual and rapid process that permeates the lifespan of a person’s human existence.

The reason why Educa on is said to be the most cri cal sector of the society is its ability to shape the future of every society which rests on the pivot of the way the younger genera ons are trained and further emboldened to be partakers in the des ny of not just themselves but the ones a er them.

Nelson Mandela said Educa on is the most powerful weapon to change the world. Mandela’s thoughts are premised on the fact that good and quality educa on is the only window to reinvigorate and build a total man that will grow to redevelop his society for a change that will transcend his first genera on.

Also, the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the doyen of free educa on in Nigeria’s Southwest region is of the opinion that: “Any system of educa on which does not help a man to have a healthy and sound body and alert brain, and balanced and disciplined ins nc ve urges, is both misconceived and dangerous.”

All of the above asser ons are pointers to something that; good educa on is embodied in vision; a mission to assess the state of things and project for the future. It is really not about crea ve and well-thought out policy, but a zeal and commitment to make it work. The drive of such great vision is clearly embedded in the structure of the programmes and how it is executed to the benefit of the public.

OSUN in the last three decades and two years of its existence has had its share of highs and lows in educa on, with successive administra ons since crea on in 1991 coming up with ideas aimed at appraising and raising the bar in terms of quality teaching and learning, provision of a conducive atmosphere, worthy innovaons as well as improved mo va on for both teachers and the students.

OSUN DEFENDER in this magazine provides an historical basis on the state of the Educa on Sector in Osun State, chronicling the worthy interven ons of past administrators, with a view to reposi oning the sector for be er performance by the present handlers of the state, by harnessing the working template for greater results and all round good of the state.

Educa on from 1991–2010

Osun State was led by three civilians and a few military administrators from 27th August, 1991 to November 26, 2010. First among them was Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke (of blessed memory), who during his tenure made efforts to establish schools, par cularly at the grassroots to ensure that the pupils and students; the perceived leaders of tomorrow, get the best of educa on. The government of Isiaka Adeleke could not go beyond its achievements as the military took over. The military administrators in their respec ve terms also emerged with considerable progress report in the educa on sector. This was the situa on before Chief Adebisi Akande took over the leadership of the state in 1999.

Akande’s administraon was largely controversial for its decisions, most importantly, the one to sani se the teaching profession and by extension, the state civil service from non-professionals. The development led to the sack of numerous teachers and the upgrade of a few infrastructure in the educa on sector. Akande priori zed science educa on, built schools across the state. He was clearly bent on sani sing the public educaon system and reposi on it but the programme was poli cised by some state actors.

•The Current Condition Of Schools

•Policies, Infrastructure And Enrolment •Student Performance, Reversal And Retrogression

al, among its peers, in the educa on sector due to the extraordinary concentra on on the educa on sector.

Taking over from Akande was Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola who was in office ll the dawn of November 26, 2010. One of the many firsts which Oyinlola did was the reinstatement of the sacked teachers and by extension

POLICY

Worried by the state of educa on in Osun at the incep on of his administra on in November 2010, Aregbesola convoked an Educa on Summit to review the situa on in the state. The Prof. Wole Soyinka-chaired Educa on Summit in February 2011 formed a blueprint to create everlas ng legacies in the educa on sector.

Noteworthy, educa on was the most cri cal sector that projected Aregbesola’s government and at the same me made it controversial because of the innova ve ideas brought into revamping it with modern infrastructure. Some of the policies that reshaped the educa on sector are: Reclassifica on/Merger of School, introduc on of same uniform, introduc on of interna onal award winning digital text books known as Opon Imo – Tablet of Knowledge, free school feeding programme called O MEAL, payment of external extermina on fees, construc on of modern schools and introduc on of discipline into the schools.

INFRASTRUCTURE

civil servants disengaged by the previous administra on. Oyinlola also endeared himself to many in the educaon sector through the provision of school infrastructure (Oyin Ni oo classrooms), payment of WASSCE fees of students, promo on of teachers and engagement, kick-off of the school feeding programme for primary school children, among other ini a ves. The administra on, however failed to upgrade school infrastructure, especially in its second term, provide basic ameni es in schools as well as other instruc onal materials. However, key players note that the Oyinlola regime had some sterling achievements, especially in the engagement of teachers and con nuous boos ng of their morale with appropriate remunera on.

THE 2011 – 2018 Era

Next to take the mantle of leadership was Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who came to power on November 27, 2010. Aregbesola’s bold move to restructure public educa on in the state did not just bring a new look to the educa on sector but also heralded a new turn of event to the future genera on. In his two-terms, Osun got her greatest med-

The Rauf Aregbesola administra on sought to put in place requisite infrastructure with construc on of state-of-the-art 100 Elementary Schools, 50 Middle Schools and 20 High Schools. This according to the former governor was due to the torrid state of infrastructure in Osun schools; which called for the urgent ac on of the government to rescue students from the gory structures and save the lives of teachers, too.

OSUN DEFENDER

Publisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd.

Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman

Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa

Reporter – Yusuf Oketola

Reporter – Kazeem Badmus

Photo

Before the end of Aregbesola’s eight years in office, 11 high schools with 876 classrooms for high school students were built. Only the Iwo High School building was not func oning as of November 27, 2018. A total of 28 new story buildings of middle schools consisting of 764 classrooms, 21 quadrangle buildings of elementary schools consisting of 531 classrooms were also constructed. Also, 143 blocks of between two and 10 buildings consis ng of 1,550 classrooms, mainly for rural se lements were built, while rehabilita on of 215 old school buildings to produce 1,213 classrooms across the state was also achieved. The administra on also employed 3,230 teachers on merit in 2013 into public schools.

•Continued on page 4

•Abandoned Iwo Govt. High School: A picture that tells a thousand stories on the discontinuation of laudable education projects and programmes

Ismaeel Uthman, Yusuf Oketola & Kazeem Badmus

Strengthening Public Education In Osun: Separating Politics From Policies

•Continued from page 3

This was followed by the introduc on of Opon-Imo to secondary school students.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered authorita vely that the ‘Opon Imo’ saved parents in Osun the sum of N8.2 billion worth of textbooks. Remarkably, the tablet of knowledge was endorsed by the West African Examina on Council (WAEC) in February 2017, and recommended to other states for adop on in Nigeria. Opon Imo was also endorsed by the United Na ons Educa onal, Scien fic and Cultural Orgainisa on (UNESCO). Over 50,000 students benefited from ‘Opon Imo’ in Osun since incepon in 2013 to 2017. Less than N3 billion was spent on procurement, installa on, distribu on and maintenance of the tablet.

The elementary, middle and high schools built were comprehensively equipped with Science and voca onal studies laboratories. They also had the best facili es for classroom studies, sports and extra-curricular ac vi es as well as toilet facili es and conveniences of the best breed.

The modern schools constructed by Aregbesola was described as “educa onal monument” and a “legacy project”, capable of crea ng unquan fiable future for the present and incoming genera on.

The government also distributed 750, 000 free uniforms to pupils in public schools. The programme gave birth to a garment manufacturing company, Omoluabi Garment Company Ltd, which employed 3,000 workers at full capacity.

RECRUITMENT AND MOTIVATION

OSUN DEFENDER noted that more than 12,000 teachers were employed in the eight years administraon of Aregbesola to boost manpower in the school system. The government also put in place a policy that made teachers in elementary and middle schools to rise to level 16. In addi on, the government appointed three Tutors Generals, equivalent to Permanent Secretary, in the three senatorial districts in the state. The government also established the Osun Educa on Quality Assurance and Morality Enforcement Agency to assure educaon quality and enforce morality in schools.

ENROLMENT

It was noted that the school feeding programme started by Oyinlola but upgraded to the Osun Elementary School Feeding programme tagged O’MEALS by Aregbesola and the infrastructure and free school uniform put in place boosted enrolment of school children. There was 60 per cent jump in enrolment rates, with Osun State having one of the highest enrolment rates in Nigeria.

No fewer than 200,000 children of school age were enrolled in public elementary schools in the state in 2013/2014 academic session, which was not the situaon before Aregbesola’s emergence. Osun was ranked second state with highest number of out of school children in the federa on in 2009.

Overall, the O’MEAL programme grew from serving 155,000 children at incep on in 2011 to over 250,000 children in all 1,382 public primary schools. The O-Meals programme was so successful so much that it partly inspired the Federal Government’s decision to resurrect it.

The investments of the Aregbesola years was jusfied by the performance of students in external examina ons. Before Aregbesola’s emergence in 2010, the highest performance of Osun public school students in West African Examina on Council (WAEC) was 15.68%. The state had recorded 10.91 in 2006, 6.86% in 2007, 10.11% in 2008, 13.98% in 2009, 15.68% in 2010, 21.9% in 2011, 22.21% in 2012, 20.54% in 2013, 18.55% in 2014 and 21.64% in 2015, according to reports released by the Na onal Bureau of Sta s cs.

The performance of the state improved to 45.5% in 2016 with a short decline of 43.50% and 40.85% in 2017 and 2018 respec vely. However, there was laudable improvement in 2019 May/June WAEC performance as the state recorded 50.16%.

Osun Educa on From 2018 - 2022

Taking over from Aregbesola was Adegboyega Oyetola, who served as Chief of Staff for seven and a half years under his predecessor.

Oyetola, who vowed that his government was a ‘connuity’ of the achievements and legacies of ‘his boss’ deviated from his campaign promises and embarked on a reversal of all of the educa on policies which he campaigned to protect.

POLICY REVERSAL

The Oyetola administra on cons tuted a review panel led by Professor Olu Aina, which recommended the reversal of the policies.

As part of the decisions reached with the policy reversal, the mega schools were depopulated and students were returned to some of the old schools either marked for demoli on or noted for urgent renova on. The Oyetola-led government dissolved the Omoluabi Educa on Services Limited and disengaged all companies that was in-charge of maintenance of public schools, especially the modern structures.

The administra on also failed to either erect new structures, complete the on-going projects in the educaon sector as at the me.

Impact, Performance And Result Of Policy Reversals

OSUN DEFENDER gathered from the NBS that Osun State declined from 2019’s 50.16% in WAEC performance to 4.78 in 2020 and 32.55 in 2021. Osun was also rated the state with highest number of out of school children in the South-West, according to the 2021 Mulple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-6), a Na onal Bureau of Sta s cs data, supported by the United Na ons Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Pu ng perspec ves to the survey, UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Muhammad Okorie, said 14.88 per cent male children in Osun and 11.5 per cent female, making 13 per cent average rate, were out of school in the state.

The Na onal Bureau of Sta s c (NBS) had in 2013 rated Osun as the state with highest number of primary school enrollment in Nigeria, and the state with lowest index of unemployment in the country as at 2017. In the 2013 school year, the overall rate of children enrolled in primary school was 95.2 per cent (95.8 per cent for boys and 94.6 per cent for girls).

MOVING FORWARD

A visit by OSUN DEFENDER to the schools invested in by the Aregbesola administra on espoused the ugly state of school infrastructure in Osun, sharp retrogression in the student-teacher ra o, as well as other challenges. The current administra on of Governor Ademola Adeleke is encouraged to take decisive steps, without poli cs, to revamp the educa on sector and bring back the lost glory.

Below are the condi on of schools visited by OSUN DEFENDER

Ila Grammar School

Ila, a major town in Osun State, benefited from the educa on interven on of the Aregbesola era with the construc on of 3000 capacity Ila High School (former Ila Grammar School), with six laboratories, toilets separated equally for boys and girls, two libraries for science and arts each, facility manager’s office, a bookshop and a sick bay. Ila High school had an increased popula on of about 2000 students following the merger of Ajagunla Grammar School, Isedo High School and College High School.

However, the school was depopulated when Oyetola ordered the students to return to their old schools. Currently, Ila Grammar School has about 450 students with just two science teachers. According to some students, the total number of teachers in the school is 25. The students described the state of their laboratories as

was without a laboratory.

ST JULIUS MIDDLE SCHOOL which was upgraded from Primary School during the Aregbesola’s era, was fair in both structure and personnel. The school was changed to Grammar School a er the reversal of the merger policy by Oyetola. None of the teachers and students were ready to speak with the medium when visited on Wednesday. However, the school buildings looked solid and maintained from sight.

COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL ERIPA Without English Teacher

Eripa, a community in Boluwaduro local government, has only one public secondary school, Community High School. Unfortunately, the school did not have English and Yoruba teachers, even when it paraded nine teachers as of the me of filing this report. The popula on of students in the school was said to be about 300 for both

dysfunc onal.

OSUN DEFENDER visited the school on Tuesday and discovered that buildings are in disrepair. Some of the aluminum windows and roof of some of the new buildings have fallen off while the old buildings have dilapidated. Some of the toilets were messed up as there was no enough water to serve the school. The doors of some classrooms have detached while les of some of the classrooms and officers have also removed. The school hall has also dilapidated.

One of the secondary schools where students were returned to is Isedo High School in Ila. It has about 200 children with 15 teachers and two nonteaching staff. A teacher from the school told OSUN DEFENDER that the school was in short of teacher, par cularly those who can teach science subjects. He disclosed that the school

Junior and Secondary School. According to a member of Parent Teacher Associa on (PTA), only nine teachers were available in the school. “We do not have English and Yoruba teachers”, said an SS1 student of the school. Three of the nine teachers are taken science subjects. There was no laboratory, toilet, library and water facili es in the school when OSUN DEFENDER visited on Wednesday. The school buildings were in disrepair. The situa on is similar at BAPTIST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in the same town. The medium learnt that the school has just four permanent teachers and two others engaged by the PTA. There was no chair and table for pupils. This is just as two buildings in the school needs urgent a en on for rehabilita on. It was gathered that the school was also suffering of insufficient instruc onal materials.

AKINORUN GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Akinorun High School is a Mega School around Monday market area, Ikirun. Students from Onaolapo Memorial High School, African Church Grammar school, Coker Memorial High School were drawn to Akinorun High School during the merger. In spite of that, the students were not up to the 3000 capacity of the mega school, leaving some classrooms unoccupied. The school, like other suffered maintenance and depopula on by the Oyetola administra on.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that most of the classes in the school were without window while ceilings of some buildings were also dropping. One of the teachers who spoke with the medium on condi on of anonymity said: “The condi on of building at Akinorun Grammar School is extremely bad. Most of the classes don’t have window again. The chairs are not adequate and water is no longer running in the toilets.”

The hall of the school, as noted by the medium is faulty to the extent that it is always full of water whenever it rains. The condi on of laboratories of the school was not known because none of the staff of the school provided informa on and the medium was not given access. It was noted that the number of students in the school has reduced, following the return of students to their old schools.

An educa onist who claimed to know more about the school told OSUN DEFENDER that “the total number of students in Akinorun, African Church and Coker at present are less than 1,000 each. I mean from JSS one to SS3. Though they are s ll expec ng more students to register for SS1 classes. The condi on of laboratories and library is average in those schools but the toilets are in poor condi ons, especially the students’ ones. But as for African Church and Coker, the old classes have been renovated comprehensively and they are rela vely in a good shape at present.”

HOLY

TRINITY MIDDLE SCHOOL, IKIRUN

Known as Holy Trinity Primary School, Oke Afo, Ikirun, the school was upgraded to Middle School with 1500 capacity. The new structure of the school is typical of a standard private secondary school with conducive •Continued on page 5

Strengthening Public Education In Osun: Separating Politics From Policies

•Continued from page 5

learning environment. But the school was returned to its old standard, Primary, when Oyetola reversed the reclassifica on policy. The school was rela vely maintained when OSUN DEFENDER visited, but there is more to be done in fixing some windows, doors and ceilings which were not in good shape. The toilets of the school were also in total mess.

WOLE SOYINKA HIGH SCHOOL, EJIGBO

Named a er Noble Laureate, Wole Soyinka High School, Ejigbo, was the first to put into use among the Mega Schools in Osun in 2015. It was a new school that received students from exis ng secondary schools in the town. Currently, according to two different teachers, the school has up to 500 students with 18 teachers, including those who teach all science subjects.

Asked about the condi on of laboratories, the teachers said: “The biology lab, chemistry and physics laboratories are in good condi on but water is not running in all laboratories.”

Compared to other Mega schools, Wole Soyinka High School appeared be er in management of the buildings. All the classrooms were in good condi on but a sec on of the school hall roof has fallen. Tiles and interlocking fi ngs were firm when OSUN DEFENDER visited on Tuesday. It was gathered that no student of the school returned to their old schools when the direc ve came under Oyetola’s administra on.

“Wole Soyinka High School was running just SS1-3 during the tenure of Aregbesola but during the Oyetola regime, the school started a full secondary system, JSS1-3 and SS1-3”, said a teacher.

YOUNG TAJUDEEN PRIMARY SCHOOL, OKINNI

Teachers in Young Tajudeen Primary School, Okinni have no specific seat. They look around for plas c chairs to sit. Aside lack of chairs, the school is also suffering from shortage of teachers. Only 12 teachers are available for over 300 pupils. OSUN DEFENDER noted that the school was not fenced; and teachers and pupil walked outside the school premises to fetch water.

The situa on is similar at OLOFA PRIMARY SCHOOL, Ofatedo in Egbedore local government of the state. The school buildings are not appealing to sight. “We have made several complaints about the school buildings but the government is yet to address to us. We don’t have toilet, government needs to complete our fencing and provide security guard in the school. Hoodlums do take over the school premises a er school hours”, said a teacher in the school.

OSUN DEFENDER also visited COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL, OLORUNSOGO, Egbedore local government and no ced that the roofs of some of the school buildings have collapsed. Majority of the classrooms were without windows. The office of the Headmaster was nothing to write home about. The school which has about 300 pupils and 15 teachers is an abode for hoodlums a er the school hours because of the low fence. The school was enjoying water supply with the borehole provided by the Aregbesola’s administra on.

A visit to ST. JOHN ANGLICAN PRIMARY SCHOOL, IFON in Orolu local government area of the state indicated that pupils and teachers of the school were exposed to danger as hoodlums stray into the school premises at will. OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the school have for years been experiencing constant burgling because of lack of fence and security. Besides, the school with over 400 pupils has just 10 teachers.

Iwo Mega School Remains Uncompleted

Osogbo, Ilesa and Iwo have special Mega School made of prefabricated light gauge steels. Osogbo Government (Grammar) High School, Osogbo and Ilesa Government (Grammar) High School, Ilesa and other Mega schools have been put to use between 2015 and 2018, the Iwo Government (Grammar) School has unluckily remained uncompleted, si ng comfortably on a bushy 10,000 square metres of land on the premises of Iwo Grammar School, along Araromi road in the Olodo-Oba town. Like other mega school, it has 72 classrooms and a large hall, u lity storage, office spaces, storage for documents, eight restrooms (four each for males and females), spor ng facili es, a borehole, standalone transformer and firefigh ng devices.

Oyetola administra on appeared to have also dragged its feet on the project, as no visible move was made to make the facility usable.

When OSUN DEFENDER visited the school on Tuesday, it observed that some windows and asbestos had started falling off. The school has been le to the mercy of offending vegeta on while its beauty and characteris cs fade away.

IWO GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Founded as a Community co-educa on secondary school at the then vacant Oke-Afo District Council school on March 2, 1964, Iwo Grammar School appears to be most popular secondary school in the town. But the standard of the school is falling off, according to findings by OSUN DEFENDER. With over 1700 JSS 1- SS3 students, the school has just 11 science teachers, though the total number of teachers in the school could not be ascertained as of the me of filing the report. It was noted that majority of the classrooms in the school were without windows and doors. Majority of the school buildings were in disrepair, while dilapidated buildings litred the school premises.

COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL, ILEOGBO

One of the schools that urgently needs interven on of the state government is Community High School, Ileogbo, headquarters of Ayedire local government. The sight of the school was appalling; the exis ng buildings are nothing but threat to the safety of both the students and teachers. There was no befi ng structure in the

NAWAIRUDEEN , a School without Geography, Government, Biology Teacher

OSUN DEFENDER visited NAWAIRUDEEN GRAM MAR SCHOOL , Oke Onitea, Osogbo and discovered that the school has enough buildings with the assistance of the old students. However, the school was suffering from shortage of teachers and furniture. It was gathered that with over 900 students, the school has about 23 teachers. According to some of the students, the Senior Secondary School students do not have teachers to take them geography, government and biology, while there was no Yoruba teacher in the en re school. A member of PTA in the school disclosed that the management of the school sourced for private biology teacher to be taken the students on a certain amount of money. The school, according to findings, did not have a computer laboratory when visited on Wednesday.

At ST. ANDREWS PRIMARY SCHOOL, OKE-BAALE, Osogbo, OSUN DEFENDER noted that the pupils were no longer making use of the toilets, as they defecate on bear floor. The school buildings were in good shape but there was no water supply.

OSUN DEFENDER also visited ANSARUDEEN PRIMARY SCHOOL, OKE-BAALE, Osogbo and discovered that the condi on of the school buildings was deplorable. Majority of the classrooms were without windows while the roofs of the buildings have also collapsed. Also, there was no enough furniture for over 300 pupils. It was also discovered that the pupils’ toilet was in total

school with close to 600 students. The school, as of the me visited on Wednesday, did not have toilet facili es, laboratory, library and water. OSUN DEFENDER gathered that there were 27 teachers in the school. Five of the teachers take science subjects, it was gathered.

OSOGBO GOVT GRAMMAR HIGH SCHOOL

Commissioned by President Mohammadu Buhari on September 1, 2016, Osogbo Government High School which has retained its old name of Grammar School, was the first to be completed among the special mega schools. It was made of prefabricated light gauge steels. The school produced the winner of the year 2020 Young Nigerian Scien sts Presiden al Award Compe on, Master Akintade Abdullahi Akanbi. Commen ng on the Osogbo High School building, Akintade said: “The school is indeed a model school in terms of structure and content. It has nice structures and the teachers here are very competence and professional. They are doing great work to ensure the students here get the best of educaon. The science laboratory here is well equipped and has helped me to build more on both theore cal and prac cal aspect of my educa on. The school standard is the best. You can never see a structure like this in both private and other public schools in the state. Without being boas ul, you can hardly find this type of school anywhere in the country. It is not only about the structures, probe deeper and you would discover we have good teachers too. The school is be er than private schools.”

But the Oyetola administra on casted aspersion on the quality of the school buildings when it declared that it needed to carry out “Integrity Test” on it and other model schools built by Aregbesola. However, the report of the controversial integrity test was not disclosed ll now.

However, OSUN DEFENDER noted that the les of some of the classrooms and stairs have remove, just as some windows have also fallen off. The classrooms walls were in bad condi on, just as the ceiling in few classrooms needs renova on. The laboratories of the school were in good shape but the toilets for students were not properly maintained, in spite of availability of water.

The total number of students at the school is 1132 as of the me of filing this report.

SALVATION ARMY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Located at Alekuwodo, Osogbo, Salva on Army was a Primary school upgraded to Middle School by Aregbesola administra on with a standard one-story building of 1500 capacity. However, the school is now a full secondary educa on following the reversal of the reclassifica on exercise by Oyetola. A visita on to the school on Wednesday show that windows of some of the classrooms have fallen off, but the building was in proper shape. OSUN DEFENDER could not ascertain the number of students and teachers in the school because none of the officials was ready to provide informa on.

mess. Sources in the school told the medium that government had five months ago inspected the school but has not come up with any renova on plan.

OSUN DEFENDER visited government schools in IKIRE AND IKOYI area of the state; it was observed that most of the schools need urgent a en on.

Only three teachers, including the Headmaster were available at IKOYI COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL, Ikoyi. Though the building was in good shape, the school toilets were not func oning and there was no enough furniture for the students. “We have already lost most of our pupils to a public school in Oyo state because of lack of teachers. Also, our toilets have not been func oning since they were constructed. We also need government assistance in clearing the school bushes,” one of the teachers said.

ST. ANTHONY’S COLLEGE , a school with just one English teacher

ST. ANTHONY’S COLLEGE, Ikoyi was running a separate Middle and High School programme during the reclassifica on exercise, but returned to normal secondary school when the policy was abolished. It was gathered that the return to the old order created crisis for the school as there was no teachers to run the JSS1-

SS3 structure. OSUN DEFENDER gathered that there was only one teacher taking English Language from JSS1 to SS3. The school, as of the me of filing this report, has no teachers for Physics, Chemistry, Yoruba, Government, Literature, Basic Science, Agric Science, Basic Technology and Civic Educa on subjects. The school Chemistry and Physics laboratory have become home for rodents as they have overgrown with weeds. The Biology laboratory was without any equipment.

•Continued on page 6

Strengthening Public Education In Osun: Separating Politics From Policies

•Continued from page 5

The school buildings have completely dilapidated. OSUN DEFENDER noted most of the buildings are abandoned while the one being used were without ceilings and windows.

One of the staff members of the school said: “We don’t have enough teachers for even the Senior school who are going to sit for WAEC and it is a cause for concern. Look at all the building, they are nothing to write home about. “Only one person is taking English from JSS1 to SS3. We only have Mathema cs teachers for the senior schools.”

AYEDAADE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, Gbongan

The total number of students at Ayedaada Grammar School is 962, with 27 teachers. The laboratory and library of the school were fairly good when OSUN DEFENDER visited on Tuesday. Though the borehole of the school was working but there was no adequate water supply as a result of nonavailability of fund to buy fuel to pump water. The school hall was near damaged as observed by this medium, just as the pavilion was in a very bad condi on.

EDE HIGH SCHOOL was rela vely in good shape except for the hall and pavilion of the school which were in disrepair. Some of the windows and ceilings of the classrooms have also broken. OSUN DEFENDER noted that the laboratories and library were also in good condi on but some of the toilets were in bad state. The school with over 1000 students has 43 teachers, according to sources in the school. It was noted that borehole was functioning in the school but there is no provision for fuel to pump water.

“There are no enough teachers in the school and the buildings need some renovaon”, said one of the teachers.

ILESA

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Like other specially built Mega schools, Ilesa Grammar school is a 3000 capacity structure with 72 classrooms and a large hall, u lity storage, office spaces, storage for documents, eight restrooms (four each for males and females), spor ng facili es, a borehole, standalone transformer and firefigh ng devices. But the school is currently underu lized. The school, according to sources when OSUN DEFENDER visited on Tuesday, has about 1200 students with just 40 teachers. The laboratories and library of the school were in good condi on but the toilets were messed. It was observed that water was no running in the toilets. According to some students of the school, the borehole was not connected to the building, making it difficult to have sufficient water for use.

However, some of the buildings need repair. OSUN DEFENDER noted that the roof and ceiling of some classrooms have broken.

The condi on of CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM HIGH SCHOOL, Iyemogun, Ilesa was very disheartening. Almost all the classrooms, the principal office and staff rooms have leaking roofs. The school has no func oning laboratory and there was lack of teachers for some core subjects. The school is opera ng with only one English teacher. The medium also gathered that the students get

drenched whenever it rained.

According to one of the heads of the school, “The old students spent almost a million naira to buy laboratory equipment for the school but there is no good building and we don’t have Physics and Chemistry teachers to teach the students.

We are just using the PTA teachers to teach some of these subjects.”

At L.A. PRIMARY SCHOOL, Irogbo, only one teacher and the school Headmistress was taking the classes. The medium gathered that the teacher is taking Primary 1-3 while the school headmistress is taking Primary 4-6 classes. The school building and toilets were in good shape.

OSUN DEFENDER visited CHRIST ANGLICAN ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL, ILERIN, Ilesa; it was discovered that most of the classroom were in bad shape. The class currently being occupied by Primary Six pupils is a death trap. Some parts of the roof of the class has blown off with the building already caving in. A source in the school told the medium that pupils in the class do scamper for shelter whenever it rains or sunny. There were only three teachers, including the Headmistress in the school which is without toilet or water. The students were also lacking chairs and tables to use.

OSUN DEFENDER visited some areas in Ife Federal Constituency and observed that some of the public primary and secondary schools are in bad conditions.

The medium noted that lack of good classrooms, water supply, toilet, furniture and teachers are major challenges facing some of the schools visited.

ODUDUWA COLLEGE, Ile-Ife, a Mega School built by Aregbesola with 3000 capacity, is currently underu lised. Majority of the classrooms were unused. As of the me of filing this report, the school has a li le above 500 students with 40 teachers, with three science laboratories, one home economics workshop

and one art studio. The roof of the biology laboratory of the school was leaking when OSUN DEFENDER visited on Tuesday. Many of the toilets have been reportedly vandalized by the students. It was gathered that the ceiling of the computer room has also broken, just as majority of windows and doors in the school buildings have been removed by louts who usually invade the school a er school hours. But the school enjoys adequate water supply. OSUN DEEFENDER no ced that the floors of some of the classrooms have been destroyed with some of the les removed, just as the ceiling fans have been destroyed also.

The medium also proceeded to BAPTIST CENTRAL PRIMARY SCHOOL, ILARE, where three schools were merged. The three schools are L.A Primary school, St. John and And Central Anglican Primary School. The school, according to sources who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER, has over 600 pupils with 20 teachers. The buildings of L.A Primary School and Central Anglican Primary School were converted to Vigilante’s office, it was observed.

IDITA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL has six buildings with three in dilapidated condi ons. OSUN DEFENDER noted that the school did not have enough teachers; only six teachers were sighted by this medium in the school premises when visited. Some of the students who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER said they have no laboratories, furniture, water supply and toilet facility. The students stated that they go into the bush or their homes to defecate.

CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM HIGH SCHOOL, Ipetumodu has received government a enon a er OSUN DEFENDER report. According to one of the old students, Kehinde Oyetumbi, the report by this medium on the school ignited posi ve reac on from the State Universal Basic Educa on which has embarked on the construc on of three classrooms. However, the school s ll needs more classrooms and a science laboratory. Also, the school lack enough teachers as it is making use of corps members to teach major subjects.

The condi on of ST. STEPHEN PRIMARY SCHOOL, Alagbagun, Modakeke as observed by OSUN DEFENDER was pathe c. The school has no chairs, textbooks, teachers, toilet facility, water supply, among others. The school has three buildings with only one manageable for students.

Meanwhile, the situa on is even worse at ST. STEPHEN GRAMMAR SCHOOL, Modakeke. The school with over 700 students has about 11 teachers, including the principal when visited. It was gathered that there was no English teacher in the school which is also lacking enough furniture. The school has no Vice-Principal as at the me of filing this report.

OSUN DEFENDER also visited to L.A PRI MARY SCHOOL, AJEBAMDELE , Ile-Ife; it was discovered that there was no portable water supply and most of the buildings were in a dilapidated condi on. It was noted that two of the four buildings in the school were in good shape.

Residents Flee, DPO, Three Others Shot

•Continued from page 1

that was donated to us was burnt. Our four men are in hospital now, they were shot.

“The Divisional police officer of Ilobu was among those who were shot. He was shot in the hand. But thanks to God, they are all respond-

ing to treatment. They ambushed policemen when our men a empted to broker peace in the area”.

Meanwhile, Governor Ademola Adeleke visited the two communi es yesterday before the commencement of the maiden Senatorial Town Hall Mee ng

‘Ipade Imole’.

Adeleke warned those involved in the communal crisis over land dispute in Irepedun and Orolu local government to sheath their sword or face the wrath of the law.

The Governor who expressed his concerns on the communal clash

that has claim no fewer than three lives, said soldiers might be deployed to restore peace in the two warring communi es.

Speaking at the Town Hall Mee ng, Adeleke said the government would take over the disputed land to foster peace.

The Governor said it is absurd for the two communi es to be killing one and other over land, disclosing that he had invited tradi onal rulers and leaders of the communi es for dialogue.

He directed that nobody should be seen on the disputed land, adding that whoever fails to obey the direc ve will be arrested.

He said, “A lot of people asked us to suspend this Ipade Imole because

of what is happening at the two Osun communi es. I’m not happy today, I came here reluctantly because our tradional rulers are already seated at Ipade Imole

“Go and warn yourself, I will not allow the killing of my people.

I have discussed with the Chief of Army Staff, who is fortunately from Osun, and he has given me his support to deploy soldiers to tackle the crisis in the two Osun communi es and ensure peace.

“It is absurd to be killing over land. I have instructed that nobody should be seen on the land, and whoever does will be arrested. In fact, the government will take over the land.

“I have invited all the tradi onal rulers and

community leaders in the two warring towns for talk and necessary ac ons.”

PUBLICATION

ADEBIYI LYDIA OLAPEJU

That I was formerly known and addressed as OROWALE LYDIA OLAPEJU, now wish to be known and addressed as ADEBIYI LYDIA OLAPEJU. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

Education In Osun; Gains, Reverses And...

•Continued from Page 2

•Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Idalare presenting an Award of Excellence to Revd. (Dr) and Revd. Mrs. Caleb Ogunleye at their yearly Justification of Praise 2023 Edition at Okinni, last Saturday. With them are Pastor David Adewale Oyewole, Pastor-in-charge of the Church and Pastor Olujimi

Bororo Herders Waging Economic Warfare Against Us, Eripa Indigenes Cry Out

Yusuf Oketola

INDIGENES of Eripa, Boluwaduro local government of Osun State, have alerted the general public on the atroci es allegedly being commi ed by some ‘Bororo’ who are herders in the area.

According to the indigenes, the Bororo who were engaged by the common Fulani to take care of their ca le, were constu ng threats to their life, wellbeing and economy of the community.

They alleged that the Bororos have engaged in stealing, assault and destruc on of farmland without remorse.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER in an interview yesterday, the Chairman, Eripa Progressives Union, Mr Wole Oyedele, said the community is accommodave to every tribe, but will not fold its arm when some strangers have become threat to the peace and security of the town.

Oyedele stated that Eripa was not hos le to or planning to send any tribe away, even as it is instrucve for the leadership of the town to cau on, through necessary apparatus, the Bororos who have become threat to the community.

He said: “Eripa as a community is accommoda ve to every tribe. We have Fulanis who have been living with us for over

30 years and we never had problem with anyone of them. But we have discovered that this Fulanis have also engaged some Bororos to be caring for their ca le. It is the Bororos that are wagging economic warfare against us.

“The Bororos are a threat to our security, wellbeing and economy. They have engaged in criminal conducts such as stealing, assault and destruc on of farmland. This people are destroying our farms with their ca le. They had destroyed my cassava and palm tree farms. They graze on peoples farm brazenly.

“A week ago, a Bororo boy engaged in open grazing inside the town; and an indigene challenged him and asked him to control the ca le to the bush, then he le . On ge ng back, the indigene met the Bororo boy at the same spot he le him. The indigene insisted that he must take the ca le away from the place, but instead, the Bororo boy called his father known a Jawe. Jawe took side with his son and asked him to a ack the indigene, but the indigene overpowered him. Jawe called another person to join hand in a acking the indigene; it was then that he raised alarm and people intervened.

“Another incident is one involving Saheed, a

farmer. He went to his farm and met a Bororo stealing his yam. He challenged him and the Bororo arrogantly said: “I want to eat; that is why I am on your farm, won’t I eat”? Before we knew it, three other people surfaced from the bush and they ed Saheed’s hands behind. They beat the hell out of him. They fled when they heard sound of vehicle approaching the area they were. That it what we are facing in Eripa.

“We had earlier called the Fulanis to a mee ng to ask why they engaged Bororo to cater for their ca le. We told them the Bororos are a threat to us and themselves and they agreed with us. They told us their children are going to school, so there was nobody available to care for their ca le, hence the engagement of the Bororos. We told them to stop using small boys and one person to care for the ca le; we insisted that they should have minimum of two or three matured individuals.

“We sent the fulanis to the Bororos to cau on them because they are wagging economic warfare against us. There is no factory in Eripa; the only means of livelihood is farming, and these people are destroying our farms. These Bororo had destroyed the farm of our Reverend in Eripa on three different occasions. They are wagging economic warfare against us and we want it to stop. The government should intervene.”

thinking, acquisition and application of functional knowledge should be the objective and priority issues in education in State of Osun rather than programmes and projects.

The first language to train every child in elementary school in State of Osun to read, understand and comprehend is Yoruba. It is after the child is able to read, write and comprehend in Yoruba appropriately that they should be introduced to English language. This is how it is in the National Policy on Education and the Omoluabi Policy on Education.

Quality teachers in adequate numbers are non-negotiable. Vacancies identified with a teacher/ pupils analysis that was done were scheduled to be filled. Since 2018, several teachers have retired. OYES that contributed six thousand graduates to education has been dissolved. A fresh teacher/ pupils analysis needs to be undertaken across all classes from pre-school to senior school. Teachers should be engaged to fill the need. There cannot be quality learning without quality teachers. It is a disservice to the pupils and to God to politicise the appointment of teachers over quality.

Competence and Character, not politics, state or tribe should inform the appointment of teachers. Aregbesola conducted three different examinations and had to use the Joint Admissions Examinations Board (JAMB) for the third and acceptable one because civil servants, politicians and those in

charge tried to compromise the recruitment in favour of their friends and relations.

Principals and Heads of Schools need to be empowered and must share in the success and failures of their schools. The process of choosing principals should be through rigorous, empirical and quality producing tests, appraisals and interviewing systems. It should not be based on automatic promotions and seniority alone. The best teacher may turn out to be an incompetent principal and making him or her a principal becomes a double jeopardy; the loss of competent hands in the classroom and the fostering of incompetence on the management of the school.

Books and Learning aides are non negotiable. Every child should have books.

It is important to complete uncompleted school projects, including the Model High School in Iwo and the nine Technical Colleges around the state. They also need to also equip them for learning, with resourced laboratories for science, technical and vocational education. It is also advisable to outsource the maintenance of these world class infrastructure to competent professionals; principals, teachers and pupils are not professional infrastructure managers.

Monitoring, evaluation and supervision are extremely important, along with application of effective Management Information Systems. Continuous appraisal of pupils, teachers, principals, school heads and super-

visors is required. The rot in the Nigerian education system - including State of Osun - is so bad that even pupils in elementary schools are “assisted in cheating” by teachers, so that the fact that the pupils are not learning is not promptly discovered.

Continuous capacity development of all involved in education and an encouraging reward and recognition system will help in the path to success and sustainability.

It requires about twenty years of continued visionary commitment to education for excellence to prevail and permeate all the strata. State of Osun needs visionaries who have understanding of the real issues mitigating against quality education and also have the courage and commitment to deliver.

Where there are farsighted leaders, governance is a continuum. Good governance transcends politics and leaders are not ashamed to consult with their predecessors to understand the vision behind actions. Again, the government led by Aregbesola left comprehensive documentation in handover notes and development plans.

Education is expensive. Ignorance is catastrophic.

•Kolawole Wasiu OmotundeYoung •P.S. On previous views on Education in Osun, you may also see the following: Quality and Politics of Education in Osun (Osun Defender Oct 11, 2020), Aregbesola’s World-Class Model Schools; Only the deep can call to the deep (Osun Defender Sept 8 , 2023).

WHO doesn’t know that hoe, cutlass and spade are agricultural tools? But if one decides to be blunt, each has its own name. Hence, a Spade is a Spade and a Cutlass is a Cutlass not agricultural instrument. Fuel subsidy is the support provided by government to make the price of fuel affordable for the people. Yes, the ensuing clandes ne development in the Nigerian oil sector is inescapable. With the ever-increasing interna onal price of crude oil from $70 in June to $80 in July and $95 in September, and a specula on that it will cross $100 by October, the price of petrol could no longer remain between N598 and N617 per liter, depending on the loca on of the purchase in Nigeria.

The reason is simple. Since we import refined crude oil products and the price of crude oil that will be refined has risen, the price of petrol, diesel, kerosene, avia on fuel and the likes will logically increase. Again, crude oil is sold in dollar and since Naira has con nued to prostrate before dollar, the price of any imported item, including petroleum products must increase. Following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pronouncement in his inaugural address at the Eagle Square, Abuja, as the 16th Nigerian President on 29th May, 2023, that ‘fuel subsidy is gone’ and its immediate implementa on, its withdrawal has brought untold hardship to the people and hindered economic growth with no prospect of recovery in sight. It has created unfriendly business environment caused by weakened purchasing power of the people due to declining household income that has been compromised by skyrocketed fuel price.

In a country with epilep c electricity supply, where reliance is placed on electrical generators as alterna ve energy (indeed, in most cases, the main energy supply source, especially in medium and large enterprises, as per diesel), deliberate increase in the price of fuel to power the generator will automa cally ignite nega ve socio-economic impact. Increase in the price of fuel has triggered inflaon that has pushed up the prices of goods and services; it has forced the entrepreneurs to make tough decisions – laying off workers – to guarantee profit which increasing fuel price is massively gulping. In this year 2023, Manufacturers Associa on of Nigeria (MAN) has disclosed that 3,567 workers have been laid off. As a ma er of fact, fuel price increase has worsened

Rebirth Of Fuel Subsidy

living condi on, pulled more people into poverty, increased crime and literally killed many small businesses. Since people are already choked and unable to breathe, any further increase in fuel price from the current skyrocketed price will be unacceptable and ignite protest.

To stabilise the current price, Federal Government had to clandes nely return to subsidising the product, despite denials to that effect. It has refused to make it official because a lot of ques ons will be raised by the public as to the soundness of the choices made by the current government in the first place, without deep thinking and wide consulta on of experts and stakeholders.

One of the reasons to jus fy fuel subsidy removal by government and its spokespersons was that since our fuel was subsidised, it’s very cheap compared to what was obtainable in neighboring countries. Hence, smugglers resell the subsidised product and make money from what was to be a relief to Nigerians. Mr. President and his spokespersons had submi ed that fuel subsidy is a scam, benefiting only a few elite and that it could no longer be jus fied in the face of drying resources and that funds for subsidy would be diverted to “public infrastructure, educa on, health care and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions.” Now that subsidy has been tac cally reintroduced but called ‘interven on’ or any nomenclature, are those smugglers no longer in existence or have become ‘born again’ since our fuel will be cheaper compared to what obtains in the neighboring countries? Will the N1.68trillion budgeted to stabilise fuel price for the months of September, October, November and Decem-

ber 2023 be safe in the hands of the very same ‘few elite scammers’ in oil sector? Have these scammers fizzled out or repented their old ways?

As against the promised investment in educa on with proceeds from subsidy, the cost of educa on has risen across boards. School fees from elementary to ter ary have gone beyond the reach of an average Nigerian. Last week, the President of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, said parents/guardians of students across the country would find it difficult to pay new fees as a result of economic reali es. In summary, he did say that in the next two years, 40% to 50% of students would drop out and become willing tools to various crimes that will make Nigeria unsafe to live. Therefore, if the new subsidy regime tagged ‘interven on’ is made official, there will be ques on of trust and accountability; hence, the clandes ne arrangement. But for how long will this con nue? Who can predict when interna onal oil price will crash? Except the needful is done – fixing our dysfunc onal refineries to produce our local fuel consump on that could be sold at fixed and affordable price – removal of fuel subsidy at all mes will never bear good fruits but make life miserable for the majority; and there is no place in the world where ci zens and businesses are made to bear the full cost of energy (which is fuel in our own case) simply because of the incompetence of government to man its boarders and the ac vi es of corrupt officials in the oil administra on and marke ng chain that are beyond being punished for na onal economic sabotage!

When a government subsidises fuel, making it affordable to its people, it’s not doing them any special favour; it is a means to an end - making its people produc ve. Having actualised this, they are good to be taxed by same government and at the end, everybody is happy. The government’s security bills, public health bills, and others are reduced to the mutual happiness of all, especially a rac on of the so-called foreign investment if the country is safe and has a healthy workforce. Therefore, the pronouncement, “fuel subsidy is gone” and its implementa on is a product of trivial thinking and lack of consulta on.

We must first reconfigure our men-

tality that subsidy by government is not a crime. In fact, it is desirable. World over, governments subsidise agriculture, energy, industry, and do financial sector bail-outs, to guarantee the produc vity of their ci zens. In Nigeria, the most important thing ever that requires subsidy (since we have failed to refine our crude locally and guarantee stable power supply) is crude oil products - petrol first, then diesel, kerosene, aviaon fuel, etc. If government wants a quick end to such subsidy, it should thereby quickly end corrup on and sabotage that makes local refining and stable power supply impossible. Un l then, government must wake up and reckon with the fact that all endeavours in Nigeria run on petrol, diesel and avia on fuel and making them affordable, however and in any way, is the right direc on to producvity and prosperity. Almost all logis cs and haulage; even Electricity Distribu on Company offices, police sta ons, government houses up ll the Na onal Assembly complex and Aso Rock Villa run substan ally on diesel, which cost has hit roof top!

Merely taking away money from ci zens (and rendering them impoverished) and handing the money over to Federal, State, and Local Governments, in a country where money in the hands of governments (with few excep ons) never ever benefit the ci zenry due to endemic corrupon, embezzlement and misappropria on, is wi ng and unwi ng destruc on of the country’s economy and recipe for escalated insecurity.

The government should revert to pre-May 29 subsidised fuel price of N195 per litre which is affordable as it is the only way that can lead to socio-economic stability for producon and produc vity. It can then begin a gradual upwards review, periodically, based on wide consulta on of stakeholders and experts, for an intermediate and long-term solu on towards ending such subsidy at a me it has achieved sufficient local refining and effec ve manning of our boarders, with significant success in its an -corrup on fight.

Headmasters in the government should know that diversifica on of our economy, as against its present monolithic, crude oil rent receipt dependency, will bounce back our economic and create enabling environment for local and interna onal investors while money made via the sales of our Bonny Light Crude Oil will be in external reserve for strategic interven ons me to me. Agriculture, Mining, Entertainment and Sports – currently languishing in ignominy and to which only lip services are paid, will fetch us triple the funding that crude oil fetches, with guaranteed na onal revival and peace. This is no rocket science but it requires a government of the people, by the people and for the people that is not steeped in corrup on and is ready to walk all progressive talks. With correct, commi ed leadership and poli cal will, a be er, prosperous Nigeria is possible.

“Fuel price increase has worsened living condition, pulled more people into poverty, increased crime and literally killed many small businesses. Since people are already choked and unable to breathe, any further increase in fuel price from the current skyrocketed price will be unacceptable and ignite protest”