National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Daniel Ayantoye | Ibadan
The Oyo State chapter of Take It Back Movement, Oyo State has called on the Executive Governor of the State, Engr. Seyi Makinde not to play politics with the education sector in the State.
In a statement jointly signed by the State Coordinator Solomon Emiola and Assistant Secretary, Gbenga Oloniniran, made available to NATIONAL TELESCOPE on Friday urged the Governor to prioritize funding of Education.
The statement reads,
“The Take It Back Movement Oyo state uses this medium to react to the deteriorating state of the Oyo state college of education, Lanlate. We commiserate with the staff and students of the institution who have been subjected to such untold hardship for long but have found the courage to make their demands public.
“In a letter to the Oyo state house of assembly, the joint action committee of the three trade unions have highlighted a very pitiable state of the college. From nonpayment of backlog of arrears to the workers, to lack of tak-off funds for the college, lack of toilet facilities and poor roads leading to the institution, we cannot but sympathize with the college community on the hardship being suffered by the staff and students of the institution.
“For us in the TIB, we cannot disconnect the issues faced by the college from other issues faced by many public schools in the state and in Nigeria. The commercialization of public education has rendered many public tertiary, secondary and basic schools unworthy. We condemn this negligence of government on public education where future leaders are made.
“We must put it clear that it is not enough pronounce an institution autonomous, change its name or claim state ownership, without the adequate funding of the schools.
“We can see this trend also in the Seyi Makinde regime where institution like the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso has been claimed fully by the Oyo state government. Meanwhile, the institution has still neither become independent of underfunding nor of exorbitant fees being payed by the students. We recall that in the latter months of 2021, students of Lautech embarked on protest against the idea of “No tuition no exam” policy of the university management. This, regardless of the acclaimed paltry 25 percent reduction in their fees by the Seyi Makinde government, shows how insignificant such cosmetic reduction is to the economic realities confronting the people.
“We, therefore, condemn the attempts of the Oyo state government to continually use public education to play politics. We call for a genuine revamping of the Oyo state college of education, Lanlate and its environs. We call for an effective funding of Lautech to relieve the laboring parents and students of the exorbitant fees. We believe that an emergency disbursement is due for the school and for many other public education suffering from deterioration in the state.
“The Take It Back Movement is ready to support the struggles of the Oyo state college, Lanlate, as well as of every worker and student centered agitation to save public education in the state. Solidarity!” It added.
