2nd February, 2020
By Isa Isawade
A group in the southwestern Nigeria, the Grand Council of Yoruba Youths, has accused Oyo government of suspending two teachers in the state in order to cover up its administrative ineptitude in the state’s education sector.
In a press statement signed by its President General, Comrade Awa Bamiji, and forwarded to P.M.NEWS on Friday, the group recalled that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo declared primary and secondary schools education free in the state on assumption of office as governor.
“He condemned the Three Thousand Naira being paid by each student as a development levy for education in the State, which was agreed upon by the Parents and Teachers Association, before he assumed the mantle of leadership.
“He boasted that he would make quality education free in the State, by providing books, Big notes, exercise books, chairs, tables, and by employing required number of competent teachers under conducive environment in the state. These he has failed to do.
“His predecessor, Abiola Ajimobi, was paying the WAEC fees of the students as at when due but, he has chosen not to follow suit, which means, if he had been able to give quality education as he boasted, it would end no where for the large number of indigent students, whose parents could not afford the payment of WAEC fees”, the release read, adding that qualitative education has eluded the state with noticeable shortage of educational materials and facility as the present lot of public schools in Oyo State.
It is against this background, according to the group, that the Parents and Teachers Association of Queen School, Apata, Oyo State decided to raise money to provide facility and employ additional fifty-two teachers to complement government’s effort, adding that, rather than earn them commendation, the two teachers in charge of coordination of the noble effort have earned suspension from the Oyo State Government.
“To save the face of the governor, the Oyo State Ministry of Education, under the leadership of the Commissioner for Education, Prof Daud Sangodoyin, hurriedly announced suspension of the two teachers of Queen School, Apata, Ibadan, who were in charge of collection of donations by parents of the students of the school.
“This unpopular act was greeted by protests by the parents who are unanimously calling for the immediate reinstatement of these innocent teachers.
“The Commissioner claimed that the association ought to have secured his approval before doing so and that eighteen out of the newly deployed sixty-eight Corps members to the ministry will be posted to Queen School, Apata, to bridge the gap of fifty-two teachers approved by the Parents and Teachers Association!
“Is this mathematics of eighteen Corps members replacing fifty-two teachers logical in his mind?” the release queried.
The group, therefore, urged Governor Seyi Makinde to stop using propaganda to destroy good legacies of the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.