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Tag: Bisi Oladele

  • ‘I’m contesting as Osun governor to prove women are better managers’

    Mrs Mercy Ayodele is the candidate of the Restoration Party of Nigeria (RPN) in the September 22 governorship election in Osun State. In this interview with BISI OLADELE, she describes politics as “very hectic and deep,” but said it should not be left to professional politicians alone. The finance expert and mother -of-three also reveals why women are better managers and the reason behind her hope of becoming the first female governor of the state of the virtue (Ipinle Omoluabi)

     

    What made you join the governorship race?

    What actually bought me to limelight is just because of the situation of the state and the country at large. We must accept that women are the most endangered specie in politics. So, I felt it’s time we women stood up  and stop being in the other room and come out . We have the potentials and we have what it takes.

    A woman is always like five-in-one; we are the home managers, we are always into career, we take care of the children, we take care of our husbands. If we can do that ,we can as well manage a nation.

    You refer to leaving the other room. What did you mean by that?

    Well, most people believe that women are meant to be at home taking care of the home front, taking care of the kitchen and not coming out like this to face the big wigs who are mostly  men. So they believe we are meant to be in the room or in the kitchen serving them . But nowadays, the current president of Germany is a woman, a mother . And I must tell you , a mother  is always emotional. A good mother will always take care of the family. For example if she cooks and wants to dish out the food, the first food she will dish is for her husband, the children,even the visitors. Sometimes the mother at home will not even eat or may be left with just a little. She is always in charge of taking care of people. So, I felt it’s time we came out and take good care of our people instead of deceiving them.

    Governorship race is a big project. How did  you come about your conviction that you deserve to be a governor, not a councilor, House of Assembly member etc? 

    Well it’s all about vision. If you have vision you are going to get there. Like I always say, I’m giving it to my husband. When this race was about to start, he was the one that said “you can do it.” By saying that he knew I have the potentials of doing it. He said you can do it and when I look back I will always say “thank you” to him for giving me the opportunity to be where I am today in the political terrain.

    Is he still supporting your ambition on this project?

    Yes. He is very, very supportive. We are i nto it together. He is always there.

    When it settled in your mind that you needed to vie  for governorship, why didn’t you join one of the popularly parties such as APC, PDP etc?

    I always tell people that when you want to join any political party or any organization, you have to first of all check the ideology of the organization. I think the ideology of Restoration Party fits my own ideology. RPN is a female-friendly political party and also it’s very very friendly to those who are physically challenged. It is a very good platform for us to vie for any position.

    Apart from the administration fee, the nomination fee for  every female aspirant to presidency level is free in RPN. And then it’s a party for the youths .They use the wisdom of the elders and the strength of the youth. So that’s why I decided to pitch my tent in Restoration Party.

    Are you among the people that registered the party?

    No

    Did you go through primary through which you emerged as the party’s candidate?

    Yes

    How many of you contested? 

    We were three – a particular aspirant stood down for me. So, only two of us went into the primary. INEC officials were there, the state officials and INEC official from Abuja.

    We had media houses on ground and we even invited other political parties to come and witness the way we did our primary, which was very fair and peaceful.

    You said you were three initially. Is the one that stood down for you a male or female aspirant? 

    The two others are male.

    Since you emerged as governorship candidate, how has it been?

    Well, I must tell you politics is very, very hectic and deep. It is very, very deep. I just want to thank God for the strength and I also want to use the opportunity to appreciate my state Chairman, Dr. Tosin Adeyemi , who is a very vibrant youth. He is the youngest party chairman in Osun State. I want to give it to him, he has been there and I must tell you politics is very very sweet and it must not be left to the politicians. It is high time we got involved.

    When did you join politics?

    I have been into politics for quite a long time, more than a decade but I was doing it partially.

    Did you join any political party?

    I did not but I have my soft spot for some political parties. And I have been following the trends whenever they were having campaigns. I’ve always been partially involved. But I came in fully on board to RPN.

    Which party or parties did you ever participate in their activities before?

    I didn’t participate directly but indirectly. I just had flair for some parties.

    Which parties?  

    I will mention KOWA because KOWA is  the first political party that gave us a female presidential candidate. So I have soft spot for KOWA. I was following the trend when the professor, Remi Solaya, emerged as its presidential candidate.

    Judging by your experience so far since you  threw your hat into the ring, do you think this terrain is meant for women? 

    It’s meant for women. It all depends on the individual and the readiness of women and the supportive aspect of the men, because I must tell you we cannot do it without men. We need their support and we just have to help our women to be in politics . It’s just like having an aeroplane engine that is having 50\50 capacity and it’s flying on the capacity of just 50 percent.  In due time, the 50 percent will wear out and then the other one will just be there without being tapped. We have not actually tapped into getting our  women  to going into real politics. And its high time , that’s why I have this respect for Goodluck Jonathan. During his tenure, we had more women given political appointment or in elective positions. But now,  it’s going gradually down. That is why I call them most endangered species in politics. We are the most  endangered specie. People are scared of all these thugs and that’s why I pitched my tent with RPN.  It’s not a political party of thugs, we all have our careers, we are professionals in our field and when it’s politics time we come out and do the needful. It’s not  a do-or-die party. We have professionals in the party. It’s a party to pitch tent with because they will give you your voice as a woman.

    Are you just for the cause of women or you have much more, reasons why you are in this race?

    First, I must confess, I’m in it because of women. If you look at the history of Osun State we have another woman now  that’s vying  for the same position. I’m the first that actually aspired for this position and  that is to tell my fellow women that we can do it.

    Secondly, it is not that we should just sit down, we are intellectual people too. We have professional women there, like the formal Finance Minister, Prof. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala. She is one of the people I look up to in politics. I love her, I love her doggedness, I love the way she operated.

    Since you started your campaign after the primary, have you ever imagined yourself on the governorship seat? 

    We are taking over from Governor Aregbesola. He knows that he’s going to hand over to me.

    Why are you so sure he’s going to hand over to you?

    One, we have the strength of the youths. We have women and I must confess women are the one that vote most. So It’s high time we stopped  just voting. I have been voting  for more than a decade . it’s now time they vote for us, we can do it.

    How are you keeping the home front during this period of campaign?

    Thank God I have understanding children. They know what I’m into and I’m always balancing it . When I’m at home, I make sure I do my home chores – cooking and taking care of them . So, they know when I’m not around, I’m not around. When I’m around I make sure I do my roles as a mother.

  • LAUTECH: Oyo, Osun pay N500m to end crisis

    LAUTECH: Oyo, Osun pay N500m to end crisis

    The Oyo and Osun state governments have paid N250 million each to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) to end the crisis rocking the institution.

    The Nation confirmed the development from a very top source in the university yesterday.

    The source said: “Yes, both states have paid the amount as promised and the sum is now in the kitty of the university.”

    LAUTECH students have been at home for eight months due to the industrial action by all categories of workers in the institution.

    The crisis reached a peak last week when LAUTECH students protested to the Office of the Governor of Oyo State in Ibadan, the state capital.

    While addressing them, the governor promised that each owner state would contribute a sum of N250 million to get back workers to their duty posts and build on it afterwards.

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi said the sum would enable the institution to pay some salaries and reopen for academic activities before the end of this month.

    Reacting, the President of the Students’ Union Government of the institution, Olatunde Bakare, commended the two governors, saying it was a way forward.

    According to him, the sum, though not up to exactly what is needed to clear salary arrears for two months, would help kick-start the process of implementing the short term solution to the crisis.

    Bakare said once the short term solution is implemented, it would pave the way for the
    medium and long term solution the financial problem plaguing LAUTECH. He promised to confirm the payment.

  • Oyo sets up committee over clashes between Fulani and farmers

    Oyo sets up committee over clashes between Fulani and farmers

    The Oyo State Government has constituted stakeholder committees at both state and local government levels to address regular clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the state.

    The Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Security, Mr Olusegun Abolarinwa, who disclosed this while highlighting the activities of the state government on averting the incessant clashes between the two groups in Ibadan yesterday, urged affected persons not to take laws into their hands.

    He said: “The state government does not have any policy on grazing zone yet as the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is yet to make a  pronouncement on nomadic rearing to be domesticated in all states. In the interim, the state government has taken proactive steps to constitute committees at both the state and local levels. The committees comprise security agencies, chairmen of local councils, farmers associations, the committee of Fulanis, miyetti  Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria, Seriki Hausawa,  community leaders and relevant stakeholders in the community.”

    Abolarinwa added that the governor has directed the Special Adviser on Community Relations and the Senior Special Assistant on Security to address the crisis erupting in the religious sector as well as community-related crises at the Ibarapa zone of the state with specific instructions to meet with the aggrieved sects of farmers and Fulani herdsmen.

    Mr Abolarinwa explained that the crisis erupted when farmers laced their farms with poison in a bid to retaliate on the Fulani whose cows destroyed their farm lands and trampled on them.

    He urged aggrieved parties not to take laws into their hands, reiterating that the government has put adequate measures in place to strengthen the security of the state with the joint security patrol, procurement of Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) for the state police command, procurement of Hilux vehicles for the security agencies and rendering various forms of assistance to the security agencies in the state.

    He, therefore, urged residents of the state to be security conscious by constituting themselves as watchmen in their neighbourhoods, stressing that it is incumbent on everyone to be alert on various security threats and challenges around

  • Army vows to fish out killers of colonel in Ibadan

    Army vows to fish out killers of colonel in Ibadan

    The Nigerian Army has vowed to track down killers of the erstwhile Commandant, Command Secondary School, Apata, Ibadan, Col. Anthony Okeyim.

    In a statement by the Deputy Director, Public Relations, Col. Timothy Antigha, for 2 Division yesterday, the army said it would do everything possible to fish out Okeyim killers as it works in conjunction with the police and the Department of State Services.

    The division assured that the joint investigation “would not be concluded until the perpetrators of the crime are identified and brought to justice.”

    The division also revealed that the autopsy conducted on the deceased showed that the late senior officer died as a result of intracranial pressure arising from fracture of the skull.

    The division said: “Any other stories connected with this case that is being spread by certain faceless individuals are false, diversionary and   aimed at derailing the ongoing investigation.”

    Col. Okeyim was murdered in the premises of Command Secondary School Apata Ibadan on December 12, last year. The division in conjunction with the Oyo State Police Command and the Department of State Services in Oyo State commenced investigation into the incident.

    Col. Antigha said the investigation was still ongoing, adding that appreciable progress has been made.

  • Tears as four unity school pupils die in Oyo

    Parents, teachers and sympathisers wept uncontrollably on Monday at two burial sites in Oyo State where the remains of four pupils of the Federal Government Girls’ College, Oyo were buried.

    The four pupils died in an accident on FGGC Road at about 3:30 pm on Sunday.

    The accident occurred at a popular market in Sabo area, a distance of about one kilometre to the school.

    It was learnt that a trailer loaded with garri fell on the minibus conveying the four pupils to school, killing the driver along with the pupils.

    While the five persons died instantly, five others were lucky to escape. They were said to be receiving treatment in private hospitals in the town.

    The deceased are John Olubukola (SS3), Giwa Taibat (SS3), Ladipo Mojisola (SS1) and Ibirogba Maryam (JS3).

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the school, Mr Akin Olumide Omitade, said the pupils boarded the minibus from Owode, having arrived from different locations, with a parent accompanying one of them.

    Their remains were buried at the public Muslim cemetery and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) cemetery in Oyo.

    Omitade said the students were returning from mid-term break, with a mandate to resume to school before 6.00 p.m on Sunday, when the incident occurred.

    According to him, the deceased students were trapped to the back seat of the bus, a situation which denied them access to rescue operation because people around could not get a towing vehicle to lift the truck on time.

    Highlighting that the road is usually made narrow by the bad shape of the road and display of wares by both sides of the road by traders, Omitade called on the government to rehabilitate the road, adding that the market women should be made to vacate the road.

    Giving a vivid account of the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu, said: “A DAF truck loaded with garri fell on a Suzuki commercial mini-bus conveying students of the Federal Government College, Oyo.

    “As a result, four of the students and the bus driver died while five others were injured and were taken to Peamark Hospital, Oyo for medical treatment. They are responding to treatment and Investigation has since commenced.”

    Ajisebutu, a Superintendent of Police (SP), disclosed that the trailer driver had been arrested by the police for further investigation.

    To sympathise with the parents of the deceased and the school, the market closed for business. The school also suspended academic activities to honour the memory of the deceased. The entire school compound was in mourning mood when The Nation visited.

    The spokesman of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state, Mr Oluwaseun Onijala, gave the registration number of the minibus as Oyo BDJ183 XA and the Mercedes trailer as Lagos  911, EPE139 XJ.

    Onijala further said that the accident which occurred around 4.00 p.m, was a result of dangerous driving.

  • Police arrest 168 suspected criminals in Oyo

    Police arrest 168 suspected criminals in Oyo

    • Parade 64 recover $75,000 from suspects

    The Oyo State Police Command on Thursday disclosed that it had arrested a total of 168 suspected criminals in the first phase of the ’ember months’ offensive on criminals and criminally in the State.

    While parading 64 of the suspects, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Samuel Adegnuyi, said the command employed intensive stop-and-search, purposeful and aggressive vehicle patrol, sustained intelligence-led raids and crackdown on commercial motorcyclists ‘Okada riders’ carrying more than one passenger to get the suspects arrested.

    Adegbuyi further explained that 104 of the suspects were still undergoing interrogations.

    Among the 64 suspects paraded, Adegbuyi said 53 persons were arrested for armed robbery, two for murder, three for rituals and unlawful possession of human skulls, three for fraud and unlawful possession of fake currency, two for human trafficking and child labour while one of them was arrested for impersonation.

    Recovered from the suspects were 14 firearms, 12 ammunition and cartridges, $75,100, seven vehicles, seven knives, a gas cylinder, a sledge hammer, a big wrench, a mask, assorted cell phones and ATM cards.

    Others include a master key, vehicle particulars, cutlasses, a dagger, fake police identity card, police kits, SIM cards, weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, criminal charms, laptop, and a cash sum of N20,000.

    The three suspects arrested with human skulls are Ramoni Akeem, 41, Azeez Ojelade, 36, and Salimon Salami, 40.  They were arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the state command at alleged hideouts in Ogbomoso on October 10, this year, Adegbuyi said.

    The police boss said: “I am spurred by the imperative of informing the public of efforts of the Oyo State Police Command to vigorously fight crimes and criminality in the state. Conscious of the approaching yuletide and its attendant rise in criminal activities by unscrupulous criminal elements, who are blinded by avarice and who would stop at nothing to acquire ill-gotten wealth during this period, the command has restructured all its security architecture to brace up to this challenge.

    “In doing this, the command has embarked on intensive stop and search, purposeful and aggressive vehicle patrol, sustained intelligence-led raid and crackdown on ‘Okada’ riders carrying more than one passenger.

    “All these efforts are deliberate and are intended to achieve the desired objective of providing adequate security for all and sundry in the state before, during and after the festive period.

    “These efforts have yielded the desired results as many criminals were arrested and stolen property recovered during the first part of the ember months.”

  • Lack of internal democracy killing Nigeria – Na’aba

    Lack of internal democracy killing Nigeria – Na’aba

    • Urges professionals to participate in politics

    A former Speaker, House of Representatives, Ghali Na’aba, has raised the alarm on how the lack of internal democracy in the various political parties is stunting the development of democracy in the country.

    Na’aba raised the alarm at the launch of a book titled: “Of Rust and Gold (Snippets of History)” in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Wednesday.

    The book, which was authored by a former member of the House of Representatives, Barr. Femi Kehinde, captures the recent history of Ibadan and the major characters with an emphasis on the entrepreneurial strength of the Yoruba.

    The former Speaker, who chaired the occasion, urged all Nigerians, particularly professionals, to participate in politics, or at worst, monitor political activities to disallow ‘fools’ from emerging as leaders.

    When political leaders are engaged constructively, the former lawmaker says democracy will be strengthened and that those leaders would be on their toes to deliver on their promises and also maintain the tenets of democracy.

    His words: “It will be a curse for me if I leave this venue without addressing the issue of internal democracy within our political parties. I have been speaking on this everywhere I have the opportunity to do so because this is an issue that affects not only politicians but all Nigerians.

    “The time has come when we must recognise the importance of participating in the politics of the country. This is because if we must all accept democracy as a way of life, we must be familiar with what is going on.

    “The essence of democracy is to have good leaders and good governance for the economic, social and political development of our country. Today, the obliteration of internal democracy within our political parties has caused so much damage to our polity.

    “Let me assure you that unless all of us confront this serious infraction on our democracy, our nation will continue to suffer. It does not matter if we as individuals are rich or not, but as long as members of our communities and societies are not allowed to become what they want to be through their God-given endowments, this country is doomed.”

    Na’aba commended the contributions of Yoruba race to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, pointing out that “Ibadan is the headquarters of Yoruba politics. In the House of Representatives which I was part of, we did a lot of things to ensure democracy survived in this country. Among those who supported that struggle were members from the Yoruba race. We must thank the Yoruba race for supporting the course of democracy.”

    The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, who was the chief launcher, also reiterated the importance of history. He commended Kehinde for the book, saying: “We must recognise history if we want to be remembered in the future.”

    While reviewing the book, a veteran media practitioner, Dr Festus Adedayo, revealed that the 249-page indicted those who expunged History as a subject from the education curriculum. He described them as the enemies of the country’s past and future.

    He said the book contains historical nuggets that every Yoruba and Nigerian should read.

    The launch was attended by Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola; Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Sen. Lekan Balogun; former Nigerian Ambassador to Philippine, Ambassador Yemi Farounbi; a retired Archbishop of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Most Revd Ayo Ladigbolu; former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mr. Segun Adesegun and Justice Ladiran Akintola.

  • Govt flags off independent power supply in 40 federal varsities

    The Federal Government in conjunction with the German Energy Partnership Project on Thursday formally flagged off its independent power supply initiative to all the 40 federal universities in the country with the Ground-breaking ceremony of a 10-Mega Watts Solar Power Plant at the University of Ibadan.

    Performing the ceremony on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Ajibode Extension location of the University of Ibadan, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, described the event as “an historic occasion in the life of the university and of our nation” adding that it is in line with the national energy policy.

    “That the project is commencing at the University of Ibadan should not surprise anyone. This is where the story of University education in Nigeria started,” the minister stated. He added the fact that UI, with its huge staff and student population had necessitated a corresponding high energy requirement which is in the region of 6 to 8 Mega Watts.

    Anwukah remarked that the Federal Government, in its bid to replicate the gesture to all the 40 federal universities in Nigeria, envisaged that the project should be achieved through the utilization of off-grid Independent Power Plants (IPPs) which falls under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.

    He noted that “it was in this respect that the Federal Government, under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, recently launched the Energizing Education Programme Initiative (EEPI), a collaborative effort of the Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to ensure self-sufficiency in power to all the 40 Federal Universities in the country.”

    The EEPI is aimed at providing reliable power supply which, in turn, will promote economic growth and sustainable development in our Universities, the Minister further clarified.

    The minister said further: “This is why the Federal government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has committed itself to this project with the provision of Funds. It clearly attests to government’s commitment to supporting a robust educational system. The project, when completed, will also ensure the realization of the vision of the University of Ibadan in becoming a world-class University, in the sense that academic activities will be boosted, and ground-breaking researches can be conducted.

    “For our universities to be highly rated in Africa and the world, we must have a good research infrastructure, and a provision of energy is very key in the process. The plant will also have the multiplier effect of providing electricity to neighbouring communities. Government is keenly interested in this project, and its timely completion and effective utilization will inform an extension of the project to other Universities. We shall, therefore, be monitoring the progress of the project. It is expected that the faculties of Science and technology and the Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law would take advantage of his project to enhance the capacity of their staff, while embarking on further research in renewable energy resources.”

    Also speaking at the event, the German ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Bernard Schlagheck, assured that the project, which is a culmination of more than two years of negotiations involving the University of Ibadan, the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the German Government, would be completed and ready for commissioning within the next six months.

    In attendance at the ground-breaking ceremony were dignitaries including the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole who is also the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan; the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka; as well as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji Ajeogungunniso I

  • Oyo APC Chair buries wife Friday

    The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Akin Oke, on Wednesday revealed plans to receive top leaders of the party across the country as the remains of his late wife, Mrs Felicia Oke, is committed to Mother Earth on Friday.

    Recalled that Mrs Oke died on April 16 at the age of 72 years.
    The funeral service is slated for 11:00 am at Oke-Ado Baptist Church, Liberty Stadium Road, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    Chief Oke and his family will host guests, who are expected to include national, regional, state and local government party leaders from across the country, to a reception at the Practice Pitch of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium (formerly Liberty Stadium) Oke-Ado.

    Oke described his wife of over 50 years as his “best friend, pillar of support and an ever-understanding soulmate.”

    Without her understanding, the APC chieftain said he could not have gone far in life, particularly in politics, which he said, has afforded him the opportunity to serve his people.

    The week-long burial ceremony started on Monday.

    The late Mrs Oke is survived by his husband, children and grandchildren.

  • Labour, Oyo govt flex muscle over new school mgt initiative

    Labour, Oyo govt flex muscle over new school mgt initiative

    Workers in the employ of the Oyo State Government are currently on an indefinite strike. Seven labour leaders are in court answering charges bordering on destruction of government property, disruption of public programme and assault.

    While the government insists that the law must take its course, labour leaders rely on the strength of workers to call the latter’s bluff. The world watches with interest how both parties find a common ground to work together again to overcome the controversies attending the newly introduced partnership on school management. BISI OLADELE reviews the hullabaloo greeting the government initiative and the efforts to bring it to an end soon.

    The last two weeks have been a special moment in Oyo State with labour leaders arraigned and detained for allegedly disrupting a government meeting with stakeholders as well as destroying government property.

    In a quick reaction, the aggrieved labour leaders called out workers in the state employ to an indefinite strike with allegation of inciting secondary school pupils against the government resulting in pupils taking to the streets to protest alleged plan to ‘sell’ public schools.

    The chaotic situation was born by the decision of the state government to partner with some stakeholders on the management of some public schools as a way of improving quality of teaching and learning in the public school system.

    The state government had on May 31 published an advertisement inviting interested stakeholders to apply for partnership in managing some schools. The advertisement also invited all interested stakeholders to a meeting slated for June 1.

    But operating on the belief that the initiative was aimed at selling off public schools, labour leaders  went to the venue and protested against the idea, positing that government was out to sell out the schools under the guise of the planned Public Private Partnership (PPP). They led a protest to the stakeholders’ meeting being held the following day, with the implication that the meeting ended in a fiasco.

    Government had to reschedule the meeting to the following week while law enforcement agents arrested seven of the labour leaders including the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Waheed Olojede.

    They were arraigned the following day and granted bail the same day. But the bail conditions could not be fully met until Monday. They spent the weekend in detention at Agodi Prison, Ibadan.

    While in detention, their colleagues served a seven-day ultimatum on the government to clear salary arrears and drop the charges against their leaders or face an indefinite strike.

    After their leaders regained freedom n Monday, labour ordered workers to commence indefinite strike on Tuesday.

    Since then, workers have stayed away from their places of assignment while government closed down public schools indefinitely to prevent a total breakdown of law and order.

    But the stakeholders meeting was held on Wednesday with labour and teachers shunning the talk shop which held under tight security.

    At the meeting, however, Governor Abiola Ajimobi appealed to stakeholders for the embarrassment of the previous week while acknowledging that the government might have made some mistakes in its approach to the initiative.

    Since then, there has been a stalemate. Government stuck to the project and continues to engage interested corporate organizations, individuals and communities It insisted that it would not interfere in the affairs of the court but indicated willingness to move forward. Labour has also rolled out the conditions government must meet before participating in any dialogue or ending the strike.

    The NLC insisted that the government must drop the charges against its leaders, clear all salary arrears and abandon or review the school management initiative.

    The situation will compound the poor financial condition of the government and also put ordinary workers in a more severe financial straits as they have only been paid till December, last year.

    While insisting that some people are deliberately misleading the public on the idea, the Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi on Communication and Strategy, Mr Yomi Layinka, explained that the initiative was still at the preparatory stage, not yet a government policy.

    Layinka emphasized that the idea was not about returning schools to missionaries or sell to anyone but to partner with willing communities, corporate bodies and others that can raise the quality of learning.

    His words: “This initiative is not about returning schools to anybody. The government is simply inviting all interested stakeholders (not necessarily former owners, missionaries and communities) to partner with it in the sustainable management of public secondary schools.

    “We are NOT ceding, selling or privatizing public schools. The government’s intention is to partner with interested stakeholders who wish to support the government in the management of these schools. They may be alumni associations, communities, or philanthropists.

    “Presumably less than 10 per cent of the 631 public secondary schools in Oyo State are likely to be involved in this partnership.”

    Layinka added that the initiative would not take education out of the reach of the poor because “government will moderate fees in the affected schools to ensure affordability, apart from the availability of alternatives within the same environment, whose facilities will also undergo facility upgrade.”

    He added: ” The beauty of the proposed partnership is that students in the schools likely to be affected is that current students from JSS II to SSS III will continue to enjoy free education and not pay school fees until they graduate.”

    In the fate of those schools not captured in the project, Layinka explained: “All public schools in Oyo State are currently undergoing assessment and improvements, not only in the areas of infrastructure but even in terms of curricular development.

    “The recently introduced N1,000 education levy in public schools is meant for this purpose in addition to other investments intended for their upgrade and development.”

    The government spokesman added that the planned programme is open to all senatorial districts of the state, without restriction to any particular areas.

    Layinka further explained that the idea had been undertaken in Lagos, Ogun, and many eastern states. “They have successfully run various partnership models that ensure the engagement/support of the private sector working alongside their respective ministries of education.”

    He added: “The main reason is to allow for the participation of interested stakeholders in the management of our secondary schools for the greater good of our students, their parents/ guardians as well as our education management system.”

    Speaking about fears of possible religious conflicts, he said: “There shouldn’t be any fears. The government intends to ensure freedom of religious preferences through  its regulatory mechanisms and shall stoutly resist any form of religious imposition or intolerance. Our religious diversity will be maintained.”

    Also explaining how staff will not be negatively affected by the initiative, Layinka emphasized: “Fist of all, all teachers are at liberty to choose between staying with their present employer (government) and whoever becomes the partnering entity. In either case, such employee/employer  issues can easily be sorted out on terms and conditions that are mutually agreeable to both parties. Suffice to say that government will not leave any teacher at the mercy of any of its partners since government will always remain an active regulator of the relationships and standards of engagement.”

    However, labour leaders are not yet showing signs they want to back down on their demands even as Ajimobi insisted that they must apologize for allegedly disrupting the stakeholders’ meeting. The government also condemned the strike, saying it did not follow laid down guidelines.

    In the coming days, the public is expecting some surprises from, particularly the government, with many also looking in the way of elders across the state to intervene ending the logjam.

    Yet, whatever move made to bring a truce is most unlikely to prevent the initiative from transforming to a government policy.