Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko on
Wednesday said any planned 'privatisation' of public
secondary schools in the South West should be
jettisoned.
The Ondo governor said this yesterday in a media
interaction with journalists after a meeting at the
National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja.
Asked to comment on rumored privatisation by the
Ajimobi-led government of Oyo State, Mimiko said
any such plan will amount to a repudiation of the
legacy bequeathed to the region by the patriarch,
Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
His words: "Let me just say that I don't know the
details yet. But I hate to believe that Oyo State
Government will want to privatise public schools. I
don't know the details yet, I hope it's not that.
Because we are proud inheritors of democratisation
of access to public education way back in the
Awolowo era. That is the legacy that we inherited.
"In this world of growing inequality, I think it will be
a disservice if any government by any stretch of
imagination, decides to privatise public schools
because quality public schools remain the only
ladder for social mobility in our society. "
Hundreds of students of secondary schools in Oyo
State had on Monday taken to the streets of Ibadan
to protest the plan of the state government to
involve individuals, old students' association and
missionaries in the running of public secondary
schools.
The students chided government over the planned
'privatisation' of schools, non payment of the salaries
of their teachers and parents and failure of
government to account for their payment of N1,000
per term as Education Development levy. Mimiko
added that social inequality will be deepened with
privatisation of public schools.
"If they are privatised and made to be beyond the
reach of the masses, then where do they go? How do
you breach the gap between the rich and the poor?
How do you ensure that we tackle growing inequality
in the society? He asked.
Mimiko who confessed not being apprised of the
details of the Oyo issue said: "I am not aware of the
full details. I'm only giving my preliminary opinion
because I strongly believe that the path we should
be going should not be privatisation of public
schools, it should be massive and increased
investment in public education".
Recalling the days of the first premier of the
Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who
pioneered free primary education in Nigeria, the
governor said this was a legacy people in the region
inherited from the late sage.
He argued that public schools remain the only ladder for social mobility in the society.
Ikpambese remains Benue CJ, NJC declares
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The National Judicial Council has stated that Justice Maurice Ikpambese
remains the Chief Judge of Benue State. In a statement on Wednesday signed
by the...
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