*says some people bent on twisting Gov Makinde words
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barr Abdulrahman Abduraheem on Sunday, hinted that the state government is not returning schools in the state to their original owners be they missionaries or individuals.
Barrister Abdulraheem dropped this hint in a statement in Ibadan denied an insinuation making round that the state that the government planning to return schools in the state to their original owners.
The commissioner accused some elements in the state bent on twisting the submission Governor Seyi Makinde made on the subject upside down, of being behind the said insinuation.
According to Barr Abdulraheem, “Oyo State Government at no time, indicated its readiness to return schools to their original owners”, and that the recent event where Governor Seyi Makinde spoke about ownership of schools was at Loyola College, during the commissioning of a hall named after the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, where he only advised members of the Old Students Association to direct their request to the Ministry of Education”
The Commissioner maintained that, “there is clearly no truth to the story making the rounds that the government of Oyo State was about to return schools to their original owners”, and that ” the government does not have such intention and there was nowhere His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde made that statement.
” For the avoidance of doubt, the governor was confronted about a possible return of the Loyola College, Ibadan, to the Old Students Association and he asked the association to direct its request to the Ministry of Education for necessary engagement”, he said
Barrister Abdulraheem added, ” he did not give any directive on the return of the school or any school, whatsoever. It is true that the state has developed a proof of agreement with the Incorporated Trustees of GCIOBA, but that does not in anyway amount to a blanket return of all schools to their original owners.’
” While the state will not shy away from productive partnership with stakeholders in the education sector to support its policy of free and qualitative education, it will not take any step capable of upsetting the cord of alliance already existing in a highly treasured sector like education” .
He declared that the state government has drawn up a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to guide the planned takeover of Government College, Ibadan, by the Incorporated Trustees of the Government College Ibadan, comprising the Old Students Association and government nominees.
The commissioner said the new regime of control at the Government College, Ibadan, is meant to serve as a litmus test for necessary template on the matter, saying, ” let me use this opportunity to address some interests who appear bent on twisting the submission of Mr. Governor on this subject upside down to look for other things to do as it is clear they will not succeed in the inglorious path of attempting to whip up religious sentiments on this issue.”
