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Tag: MOCPED

  • How we made peace in MOCPED, by Ag. Provost

    Dr Nosiru Olajide Onibon was appointed the Acting Provost of Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija, Epe, last December. In this interview with ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, Onibon bares his mind on the challenges he met on assumption and how his efforts at achieving peace among aggrieved workers are yielding fruits.

    What did you met on your assumption of duties?

    On my assumption, I moved round to see the status of the structures and the impulse among staff. I also gauged workers, welfare and working environment.

    Although I had information of certain things before coming on board, what I found fell way short of my expectations of what a higher institution should look like.

    I have had the privilege of visiting many institution, particularly outside the country, and I’d told myself that should I have an opportunity to manage a higher institution,  I would replicate those things I have seen outside. So I felt sorry for this system and for workers’ condition because the ecology of your work place also determines the quality of your service.

    Could you mention one or two key challenges?

    The classroom environment is below standard.  You look around and find dilapidated seats, both in the classrooms and offices. We also have a scenario where the toilets are so bad.  I once asked for a staff and his colleague told me that staff hurried home to defecate. That immediately sent me a signal that we must first make this place ideal for teaching and learning. So I envisioned turning the classrooms to second home for both teachers and students.

    Second, the entire environment is also an eyesore. You move around and see abandoned vehicles littering everywhere. So I ordered those vehicles to be moved out of sight. Then we started to identify which of the vehicles could be put back on the road. Second, we began some landscaping. We provided modest tools we could due to our lean resources.  We also plastered the fence of the entrance, clear its bush, painted it and did artwork with the help of our Department of Cultural and Creative Arts. We then moved into offices and get some of the toilets fixed.

    We brought in pieces of furniture and chairs for the teachers. We moved into the classrooms, restructured and retiled about eight of them, especially two big ones that could take up to 200 students each. We painted them and installed new ceiling fans. In fact, my intention was to fix air conditioner there because I had an opportunity of attending a school with air conditioned classrooms.  So I asked myself, what differentiated us from these students and why can’t I replicate same in them?

    We heard some workers were disenchanted over allegations bordering on high handedness by the immediate past administration, what are you doing to assuage their grievances?

    I have repeatedly addressed the staff that whatever problems we have now are not insurmountable.

    I’m a stickler to rules and regulations. I have been a union person so I know what the workers want. I know that as a leader, you will have less problems when issues bordering on staff welfare are substantially addressed. I also believe works are entitled to their rights. If you deny them, they will forcibly demand for it. As at today, I can say over 90 per cent of workers are cooperating with the management to the extent that people are spending their personal resources to make things work.

    How did you achieve this?

    We simply gave to Caesar what is Caesar’s. We also pay salary regularly and as at when due. This month’s salary for instance, we have not yet received our subvention (from government), but I appealed to our bank to give us salary for those that wanted to celebrate Eid-El-Kabir with their families and our bank obliged. We ensure staff received promotion once they merit it. We collect staff deduction and put it in proper place with respect to tax, pension and cooperative.

    With your short experience in the saddle, how would you describe MOCPED in terms of its mandate and as the first college of primary education in Nigeria?

    We are supposed to be the pivot in primary-based and basic education in the country if we had gotten it right from the beginning. Unfortunately that is not the case and it’s not what can be changed overnight.

    For instance, no one wants to take his or her child to college of education because it looks like a waste of time. A student spend three years to acquire NCE and another three years in the university to get a degree, when you can simply gspend just for years for a degree in education in a university. Since there is no provision that says if you combined NCE and degree you will start with let’s say Grade Level 10, then you will continue to be at par with your counterpart who spent four years in the university in terms of career progression.

    So colleges of education continues to look like ordinary windows for the never-do-wells

    If my recommendation could be adopted, it will further ginger those with passion for education because they will first want to come to college of education before proceeding to university.

     

  • I’ll turn MOCPED to world-class institution, says Provost

    I’ll turn MOCPED to world-class institution, says Provost

    The Acting Provost of Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Dr Nosiru Olajide Onibon has promised to turn the college to a world-class institution.

    At the matriculation 493 students of the institution at Noforija, Epe, he also promised to manage the affairs of the institution to the satisfaction of the government and good people of Lagos State.

    Onibon congratulated the students, saying they should count themselves lucky because the admission process was keen.

    He urged them to see sky as their limit.

    “Today, the college is matriculating 493 students. Let me. Sincerely appreciate the efforts of the academic board, the three unions, committees and all staff. Today is the product of your commitment and we are determined to move the college forward in spite of the challenges facing this institution. Let me assure you that I am here to collaborate with you and make this institution one of the best in the world.

    “To our matriculating students, let me inform you that your admission into this college exposes you to certain rights and privileges and also requires that you live up to expectations by obeying existing rules and regulations to enjoy you stay in the college,” he said.

    Onibon said part of the vision and mission of the college is to build a dynamic institution of higher learning for capacity building.

    Onibon said 81 full time and 89 part time students were admitted into Arts and Social Science, 41 students made the Primary Education list, 89 were admitted into the language class, science had 70 students, while those admitted for vocational class were 123 number.

    Addressing over 2,000 parents, staff and well-wishers at the well-attended ceremony, he promised to ensure improved academic excellence, research, human resources development as well as structural development, among others.

    The school, he said, has zero tolerance for laziness, campus and off campus hooliganism and advised the students to always follow the legitimate channels of communication during the period of their stay in the college.

    “Let me say that the door of the college is open at all times for discussions that will promote peace in this school,” he said.

    Onibon sought the support of the union, academic board, college committee, parents, and all stakeholders.

    Some of the parents praised Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for appointing Onibon as the Provost of the college.

    A parent, Chief Gbenga Alaka said Dr Onibon’s appointment was a “round peg in a round hole,” and urge staff and students of the school to support him in his efforts to make the college a world-class institution.

  • Lecturers demand management’s commitment

    Lecturers demand management’s commitment

    Lecturers from the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCOPED), Noforija in Epe, Lagos State, have vowed to continue their indefinite strike ‎until the management pays half of the outstanding debts it owes them.

    The Union Chairman, Mr Michael Adefuye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos that the payment would stand as a commitment from the management to the lecturers before the strike could be called off.

    Adefuye said following the declaration of the strike on April 18, the Special Adviser (SA) to Gov. Akinwumi Ambode on Education, had on April 21 invited the union executive for a meeting.

    He said the ‎governor’s aide had appealed to the union leaders to call off the strike as the government had increased the college’s monthly subvention effective from May 2016.

    According to him, the special adviser assured them that when the subvention is increased the management will start paying the outstanding debt monthly until it has cleared all.

    But the chairman insisted that the management must pay half of the outstanding debt, as a commitment before suspending its strike.

    According to him, the union insisted so because the current provost has just three years more to spend with the college.

    He noted that the outstanding debt was 42 months of unremitted pensions to the Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) and must be cleared before the end of the tenure of the present administration.

    “From our calculation, if we agree to the monthly payment of the debt as proposed by the SA, the present management will not finish paying the debt before the expiration of the present provost.

    “That is why we are insisting that half of the debt, which is 21 months be paid, so that the remaining 21 months can be paid before the tenure of the provost lapses,’’ he said.

    He said that the executive would call a congress next week to table the outcome of the meeting with the special adviser.

    ‎NAN reports that the lecturers, under the auspices of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), MOCPED, Noforija, Epe Chapter, had on April 18, declared an indefinite strike and staged a peaceful protest.

    The union said it declared the strike as a result of the non-implementation of its demands by the college authorities.

    It was demanding for the payment of 42 months’ of un-remitted pensions to the Pension Funds Administrator (PFA) ‎after the state government increased its monthly subvention in 2013.

    It also accused the management of collapsing the degree programmes with Ekiti State University (EKSU), while others such as Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) and Federal College of Education, Akoka, affiliates were flourishing.

    ‎According to the union, the present administration lacks transparency in the financial administration of the college’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), TETFUND and subvention, among other complains and demands‎.

  • How I stabilised MOCPED

    How I stabilised MOCPED

    The Provost, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija Epe, Prof Olu Akeusola, made history when his first tenure was renewed by the Lagos State government in the 20-year-old institution. In this interview with ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, Akeusola, 52, says administrators of tertiary institutions can only be better off if they learn to look beyond government funding and leverage on their expertise to attract investments from other sources.

    You are making history as the first Provost of MOCPED to be reappointed. Did you see this coming?

    Let me tell you the genesis of the entire thing. I was expecting it and I was not expecting it. As a human being, I felt I was growing bigger than MOCPED. I came to MOCPED with the sole ambition of turning the place around, and that if my achievements could speak for me, it could lead me into better achievements that might launch me into political appointment or something at the national level. If you could recollect, MOCPED was a jungle when I came in, and I decided to use my national and international influence to make the place better.

    So, how did the journey into your second term begin?

    Unfortunately, my first tenure would end on Saturday, August 1. I was looking forward to seeing what the Lagos State government or the national body would do. I had the ambition of returning to NOUN (National Open University of Nigeria) where I came from to do something better. I also had the ambition of looking towards the Lagos State Government for a better appointment. However, the thinking of the college and the state happened to be in consonance with the proposal that we wrote to Lagos State Governor that we want to take the college to the next level.

    His Excellency was sworn in on May 29, but on first of June, he called us for a meeting and told us to come with a solid proposal talking about the past, present and future that could be instrumental to the development of every other sector in Lagos State. So, I wrote a proposal which is anchored on taking MOCPED to Open and Distance University. Based on my qualification as a professor of Comparative Grammar and the immediate past Dean of School of Arts and Social Sciences of NOUN, I make bold to say I am a specialist of ODL. To me, Lagos is a Centre of Excellence, and the best state in Nigeria for now. If Lagos State has 10 per cent of Nigerian population, 10 per cent per capita income in Nigeria and 10 per cent of monetary value of Nigerian budget, then Lagos could be the first to have Michael Otedola Open and Distant learning (MOODL University). That is my thinking.

    What did you meet on ground upon your assumption in 2011?

    When I came in, I was welcomed into a glorified secondary school, a replica of that old teacher training college where they had only one auditorium, where the only storey building happened to be given by TETFund(Tertiary Education Trust Fund). where the UBE (Universal Basic education) blocks and others were in shambles.

    I then told myself this is meant to be a college of education that could compete favourably well with other colleges of education not only in Nigeria but globally. So, I decided to approach both national and international donors that would be instrumental to developing the infrastructure we definitely need in developing the college.

    I make bold to say that I tried within my limits. There are some agencies of the Federal Government that were instrumental into developing MOCPED. First, is TETFund. TETFund has been very magnanimous towards us. The majority of the things we have here were done by TETFund. The other is the Nigeria Communications Commission which gave us lots of computers to develop our ICT (Information and Communications Technology) system. Some of our international partners from Saudi Arabia where I happened to be a visiting professor also gave us some other things. I’m grateful to all of them.

    But, how were you able to achieve this when other managers in tertiary institutions still complain of inadequate funds or inability to access TETFund grant?

    Let me explain it this simple way. There is nothing in a post than the person that occupies a position dictates how the position would be run. The majority of our leaders and chief executives have what we call inferiority complex. Some of them are not well prepared for the position they are occupying. I’m sorry but that’s the truth.

    Some CEOs are simply wheelchair chief executives. I have spent 21 years as a lecturer and director in a college of education. I’ve been into the university system, risen to a position of a professor, been a dean of a faculty before becoming a provost. So, I’m not the kind of person that could be intimidated by anybody.

    I have faced a lot of people and rigours. Fortunately or unfortunately, I’m from Lagos. I am socially inclined, and academically endowed. I know what to do when to do and how to do it. I put everything in place and develop my goals and objectives, and I have the strength to follow things up.

    Aside TETFund, some of them say government’s funding has never been enough. A majority of our CEOs, especially those in universities, have the tendency of tapping only one source without thinking of other sources simply because the  Federal Government is extremely generous to them. TETFund grant happens to be very fine and solid but it has rules. If you are not ready to follow the procedures, you may not be able to get what you want. But the moment you are ready to comply with the due process, you keep on getting whatever you want and however you want it.

    Let me note this, a majority of what I had despite that Federal Government was controlled by PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) then, and I happened to be from a government institution controlled by a state belonging to APC (All Progressives Congress), I could get whatever I want simply because there is no discrimination in the academia. TETFund is purely academic and I have to give kudos to those managing it because they have no bias about political parties.

    Looking back, are there things you couldn’t achieve in your first tenure that you would love to correct now?

    (Cuts) You are wrong. I decided to develop a 60-item project-20 for workers, 20 for students and 20 for the development of the college. I set a four-year rolling plan for myself and came with a kind of checklist. Whatever I’d planned to do for the four years, I finished everything within 24 months. So, I have done extra within the last two years. There was nothing that I promised that I was going to do within the last four years that I have not done. That is why I was even tired ab initio about becoming the provost again because I didn’t see what I really wanted to achieve. But when the new dimension of taking the college to the next level came, I saw it as a new challenge. That I can key into.

    We have made a proposal to the state government and it is for the government to take our proposal. We want to start a university of ODL with at least six to eight faculties that will be human and per capita development institution.  Remember, no university is for learning alone. It is research based that could be instrumental into formulating some new technological and developmental ideas for the betterment of the society.

    MOCPED has a history of being crisis-ridden. Did you ever step on toes in your attempt to restore sanity?

    Governments have been contributing to the problem of tertiary education management. Let’s go down memory lane. MOCPED was established 1994, and has so far had four different provosts who left owing to one factor or the other. Unfortunately, some of them, were administrators whose best could only be seen in the ministry rather than colleges of education. One of them was from the university system and was applying university theory to solve challenges in colleges of education system. Most of those I earlier mentioned neither had orientation nor tradition as an educationist. In my case I did not perform any miracle. I only capitalised on my background.

    So, what made your own tenure different?

    I was a student of college of education for three years, before becoming an administrative officer. I was a lecturer in a college of education for between 19 and 21 years. I was a union leader and I happened to be the secretary for COEASU (College of Education Academic Staff Union) Constitution Drafting Committee that the union still uses till date. So automatically, I know the system. It was after all that time that I decided to go into the university. So, when I came (to MOCPED), it was just a question of happy reunion like coming back to join my family. All the antics of union leaders then, we were the people planning it. So, it’s just like putting my experience into focus.

    When you want to be an administrator, you hold both the carrot and stick. You must be ready to blow hot and cold at the same time. You must learn to strike and retreat. You must understand people and let them understand you. You must be able to say that my punishment is corrective and not destructive.

    But, you cannot say your experience was a smooth sail?

    It’s not as if I never had my challenges. But my theory is very simple. Do I destroy what I’d been able to build? I happen to be one of the grandfathers of COEASU. Then, do I want to make myself the rebel of yesteryears by becoming conservative today? Do I want my colleagues with whom we’ve been in the struggle together to criticise me on what we once critisied about past leaders?

    You recall that we went for a tribunal the other time. Some people in the government actually wanted me to come up with the names of people that had been disturbing me to get rid of them. I now asked: ‘If I happened to be same age with Barrack Obama (American President)  who did not ask for the crucifixion of his critics, why do I want the government to sack critics for me?’ And what is that thing we call academic liberty and genuine critisism?  Can we all reason and think same way? How do I demonstrate to them that I’m handling things with objectivity?

    The secret of my governance is that none of my rules is a norm. My discipline or punishment are corrective and not to witch-hunt or destroy. Let me place it on record that since I’ve been in MOCPED for four years, I’ve never sacked anybody out of vengeance or vendetta.

    Could you mention some of your achievements?

    They are numerous. I got to the college in 2011, and they have only had one convocation since existence. But I’ve organised two convocations making the third one. My tenure attracted the first digital e-library. I also brought the first digital language and laboratory to the college. We now have a new  administrative block. I have lots of buildings to my credit.

    We now have 750-seater ICT (Information and Communications Technology) hall. I facilitated it. Overall, we have been able to place the name of MOCPED on national and international arena. It is for you to go there and see things for yourself.

    What of mistakes?

    The mistake I committed, If I had my way, I would commit same mistake. In order not to hurt my colleagues and staff, I kept on hurting myself and hurting the system, but I enjoyed it. There were lots of people I tolerated even though I was told not to have tolerated them.  But it is for the harmony and peace of the system.

    If I should say I want to keep on sacking people because of one mistake or the other, my sacking that person would have been tantamount to sacking about 10 others – wife, children, dependants and relatives. But if I keep on tolerating them despite that they are hurting me and the system, perhaps they might repent someday.

    You had a very rough background; looking at yourself now, what have you learned from your past experience?

    I’m from Epe in Lagos. My father happened to be Akeusola Egemoni. I did not pass the Primary 6, G2 exam. I failed Form 3 twice, and I was withdrawn from secondary school to learn how to be a radio mechanic at Aiyetoro here in Epe. I failed school certificate about three times. But, can I tell you something; I was rascally. I was dependant on the wealth and fame of my father. I was carried away, saying that I could make it without education.

    I entered the Lagos State College of Education (now Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education) in October 1983. My father died in November 1983 and everything died with him. So I had to pick the pieces of my life together. There, I realised I had some innate intelligence that I’d not been tapping. Something in me told me that is the secret of your success. I just had to rediscover myself and that is why I am who I am now.

    What do you want people to remember you for in MOCPED?

    MOCPED?  that I came and saw and conquered. I saw a jungle and I turned it into a city. Go to MOCPED at night time, if you do not see a small London, call me a liar.

    Early this year, MOCPED had issues bordering on non-remittance of money on degree programmes it runs in affiliation with the Ekiti State University. This is an opportunity to lay the problems bare.

    The truth is EKSU programme is a compound programme. I was appointed as MOCPED provost for an NCE degree-awarding institution. But I came into a system where the college has entered into affiliation with EKSU. In consonance with the agreement, EKSU is to moderate everything they do upon payment of necessary money. The programme started in 2007.

    When I came in 2011, I realised they have never taken any results to EKSU and they have been indebted to EKSU because they were not paying regularly. It is not as a result of the college collecting money and not remitting but students have been defrauding the college. The students operated several fraudulent accounts, whereby they pay the money that would have accrued into the college account into their own account. So staff would just assume when they brought the teller that students had paid. So when I came on board, I carried out a forensic auditing and discovered these faults. That was when they started calling me ‘Kowope’ (accountability first).

    The bank wanted to take some of the students to court, but I said no. I’m not ready to destroy them, but let the affected students pay the money back and conclude their programme or go away.  So those who were able to pay, we collected their money. Others simply left. And that happened to be the accumulation of the debts that we had with Ekiti.

  • MOCPED releases certificates

    Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Norforija, Epe, Lagos State, has released all outstanding certificates of graduates of the college.

    A circular signed by the National Public Relations Officer of the MOCPED Alumni Association, Mr Kamorudeen Nosirudeen, stated that all certificates, especially those for the part-time graduands of the 2000-2008 sessions and Full-time graduands of 2007/2008 to 2012/2013 academic sessions are ready for collection.

    To collect their certificates, the circular directed the concerned graduates to make the necessary payments to the school and alumni association, complete the certificate form and submit to academic office for processing.

    The certificates can be collected from the registrar Office once processing is completed.

     

  • MOCPED ready for upgrade, says Provost

    The Provost,  Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED) Noforija Epe, Lagos, Prof Olu Akeusola, has assured the Lagos State government that it would not regret it if the institution metamorphosed into a university of education as it has abundant human and material resources.

    Akeusola, who spoke at the third convocation and 20th anniversary of the college last week, praised MOCPED’s founding fathers, led by former Lagos State governor, Micheal Otedola, for establishing the college in 1994.

    He said successive administrations have consolidated on Otedola’s initiative with material and intellectual inputs.

    “I  am proud to  announce to you that with all moral and financial support, the present administration has been giving this college, today, we can successfully transmute into a full-fledge university of education, considering all  infrastructural material and human resources on ground.

    “I am proud to say that the National Council for Colleges of Education (NCCE) our accrediting agency in Nigeria, has at various times, attested to the fact that this institution has the capacity to metamorphose into a university of education.

    “The last report of the commission early this year indicated that this college is compliant with minimum standard and all our courses were granted full accreditation. This result was not achieved in a vacuum. I, therefore, thank our dear Governor, whose belief in nation building through education is unrivalled,” he said.

    According to him, the college has released 1,756 graduands, who completed part-time programmes from 2000-2008, as well as full-time for the 2011/2012, and 2012/2013 academic sessions.

    He thanked workers for their support and congratulated the graduands and their parents.  Akeusola admonished the parents not to give up yet on their wards education, but continue to support them to reach the pinnacle of their career.

    Akeusola thanked Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who in 2013 endowed N1 million for both the best student in Integrated Science, and the overall best female student every year. He particularly thanked her for facilitating N109 million TET Fund, which saw the emergence of the School of Primary Education Studies building.

    Chairman of the Governing Council, Mrs Risikat Akeusola, recounted how the Council, on assumption, saw the need to get down to work.

    “On our assumption as members of the Council, we discovered that our immediate priority was to ensure accelerated physical, academic and general growth of this college. Upon consideration of past records, we also decided to work hard to improve its public image through rapport with relevant stakeholders, particularly regulatory authorities.

    “I can tell you that MOCPED is now a reference point for good governance, peace, tranquillity and functional service delivery within the comity of colleges of education in Nigeria.”

    She thanked the government for setting up an enquiry to look at the remote causes of protest by some students which led to destruction of school property in 2013.

    “One area that stands clear is that lessons were learnt by everybody from that incident. On realiisation of the enormity of the incident against the state, the entire 400 Level regular degree students of the EKSU-MOCPED affiliate programme tendered two-page letter of apology  where they regretted the unfortunate incident and promised to be law abiding; That atmosphere has since  been sustained,” she said.

    Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, said the state holds dear education at the foundation level; hence the establishment of MOCPED to drive this mandate.

    Fashola spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Idiat Adebule.

    He said: “Education remains the most important factor for achieving full potentials of any society because it opens windows of opportunity for individuals to aspire to the highest level of human achievement. An essential process in the achievement of that human potential is development of teacher education. This is what makes MOCPED unique as the only college of primary education charged with responsibility educators at the basic level.”

    The high point of the event was the conferment of Fellowship Award on Senators Tinubu and Olugbenga Ashafa, and presentation of awards to deserving students.

     

  • MOCPED produces First Class

    Miss Adeniji Taiwo Morufat has emerged the only first class student among 94 graduating students in the degree sandwich programmes of the Micheal Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija-Epe,Lagos State.

    The programmes are the initiative of the Ekiti State University (EKSU) which MOCPED got the franchise and began running since 2006.

    A statement signed by the college Public Relations Officer Mr Ilori Abiodun Idowu, said among MOCPED first fruits are 20 students with Second Class (Upper Division), 57 with Second Class (Lower Division) and 16 with Third Class.

    According to the results as compiled by the management of EKSU, Adeniji  36, who studied Agricultural Science Education with Matriculation No: UNAD/EPE/06/01753 got a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.57.

    Reacting on the development, Provost MOCPED Prof Olu Akeusola, described Adeniji’s feat as a result of dedicated and committed workforce and the high benchmarks the college sets.

    “We are happy about the development. This is simply to show that here, we have standard which we don’t compromise. We have a crop of dedicated staff passionate towards delivering excellence. Once a student chooses to be committed, we can assure you he or she will come out in flying colours.”

    Adeniji’s achievement, Akeusola further explained, is a testimony for doubting Thomases who believe they can only get the kind of quality teaching and research from mother universities rather than affiliate ones.

    “Whether you are in EKSU or MOCPED, the standards are the same. I believe this is enough to convince doubting Thomases that you can receive as much quality education as is obtained in EKSU. We have the facilities here, and we can deliver,” Akeusola said.

     

  • What Michael Otedola meant to MOCPED –Provost

    What Michael Otedola meant to MOCPED –Provost

    The Provost of Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Prof. Olu Akeusola, in this interview with Musa Odoshimokhe, explains why the late Sir Micheal Otedola would remain a part of the college history forever. He also spoke about other sundry issues in education.  

    What impact did Michael Otedola have on your institution?

    The impact of the late Michael Otedola cannot be quantified. Around 1992, the Federal Government promulgated a law abrogating Grade 2 teachers from the educationl system. The policy pegged minimum qualification in any school in Nigeria from the National Certificate of Education (NCE). Part of that law stated there must be specialised NCE for primary education.  By then Otedola was the governor of Lagos State.

    Despite the fact that the Federal Government was unable to take the bull by the horns, in establishing specialise colleges of primary education, Otedula took it upon himself to establish first ever college of primary education in Lagos State. It was established in Epe, in 1992 but materialised in 1994.

    Although, he had a short tenure as governor of Lagos State, but that was his achievement. So, he succeeded in making Lagos State the first among equals to establish college of primary education in Nigeria, ahead of the federal government. In 2004, when the college marked its 10th anniversary, the Lagos State government under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu honoured him by changing the name of the college from Lagos State College of Primary Education to Michael Otedola College of Primary Education. The man was benevolent throughout his life time to the college.

    To what extent has the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education met the idea behind its establishment?

    The curriculum of primary education certificates makes the NCE certificate holders to teach in primary and junior secondary schools. But Michael Otedola College of Primary Education happens to be a specialised one. We concentrate more on the training of primary education. We are still the best college in terms of primary education in Nigeria, the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) is aware of our position. We have been leading others as far as primary education teachers are concerned.

    The strike by colleges of education and polytechnics has lingered on for long, why?

    When members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) went on strike, everybody was ready to listen to their complaints. They were running from pillar to post, to satisfy the university lecturers. They told the polytechnics and colleges of education lecturers to keep doing their work, that when they resolve with ASUU; they will use the same parameter for them. They are all tertiary education which covers universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. But immediately they settled ASUU and it resumed, they forgot polytechnics and colleges of education. The people now say: ‘Oh because we did not go on strike’ and then they now decide to go on strike. They now wanted to blackmail them just like they did with ASUU which do not work. Not until they are able to do whatever that is expected of them the problem will still continue.

    Quality of education in Nigeria has fallen, how can this be changed?

    There is difference between quality and standard.  If you are telling me about the quality, I would say that the problem we have is misplacement of priority. We are unable to interpret the curriculum effectively well to the betterment of our needs and the environment. During our own time, when we were in primary schools or secondary schools, we never had access to computer. There was no GSM; there was no facebook or some of the facilities we now enjoy. Let me even take you to my own case, I was the first to do Comparative Grammar at PhD level, which was some years back. Now, what I did at PhD level is now discussed at first degree level. Yet, you are telling me that the quality of education is falling. It is not!. What has happened is that we are loading present day children with unnecessary materials, with what they will not need.

  • Lecturers hail Fashola

    Lecturers hail Fashola

    The Colleges of Education Academics Staff Union (COEASU) and the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija-Epe, have hailedLagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola for releasing the first tranche of the 2010/2011 salary arrears.

    According to a statement by the union and signed by its Chairman, Olumide Kupolati, the governor showed his concern about the development of the people.

    Kupolati said the teachers were motivated and would put in their best .

    He urged the governor to release the second tranche of the payment soon.

  • Tribunal probes MOCPED riot

    The Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola has inaugurated a five-man tribunal to investigate the June 17 riot that disrupted exams at the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Norforija-Epe.

    The tribunal of enquiry chaired by a former Commissioner for Education, Prof Idowu Sobowale, has three months to investigate eight terms of reference.

    At the inauguration of the tribunal at the Ministry of Justice, Alausa, last Friday, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye, said in constituting the tribunal, Fashola invoked Section 1 (1) of the Tribunal of Inquiry Cap T6, which empowers him to constitute a tribunal if the disclosure of the matter will be in public interest.

    In addition to probing the causes of the crisis, Ipaye said the tribunal is expected to assess the roles and culpability of workers, students and police in the crisis; evaluate the extent of damage; recommend penalties; examine internal control system of management, and make recommendations on preventive measures to check riots by students.

    Education Commissioner, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye condemned the wanton destruction of school property during the riot allegedly instigated by students who were barred from writing the first semester examination for defaulting on fees.

    “The wanton destruction at MOCPED was monumental and no doubt, inimical to the realisation of the set goals of the college. It should be realised that public funds that will now be committed to the repairs or replacement of the damaged and vandalised properties could have been utilised for other beneficial projects. This is not acceptable to the state government and it is determined to unravel the remote causes of the mayhem,” she said.

    Chairman of the tribunal, Prof Sobowale pledged that the members will do their best hoping that such would not repeat itself in the state.

    “We have no illusion that the task will be easy. But we believe that with God on our side, we will complete the task. The painful thing is that instead of government to be spending money on new projects, it has to spend on repairs,” he said.

    Provost of the College, Prof Olu Akeusola commended the government for constituting the tribunal and counselled students not to be destructive during protests.

    “It is not possible to keep people from protesting. But your protest should not result in wanton destruction of property. This should serve as a warning to others that Lagos State will not tolerate such behaviour,” he said.