By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Socialist Party of Nigeria, (SPN) on Wednesday, declared that
public education in Oyo State ” is now in a terrible state”.
Addressing a press conference in Ibadan, the Oyo State Secretary of the party, Comrade Ayodeji Adigun
accused the state government of running public education sector with propaganda, media noise and misconception
SPN cautioned that re-election of the Gov Seyi Makinde-led government in Oyo State will be a hell for working people in the state, saying, ” in the event that Engr Seyi Makinde is re-elected after the 2023 election, the chances that things will be very tough for the mass of the working but poor people in the State are very high”.
” The state of the decadence in the education sector is so huge that most public schools in the state lack necessary facilities such as laboratories, libraries, computer facilities, adequate and properly-equipped classrooms, etc. This is despite the 200 projects which include, renovated 88 classrooms blocks, newly constructed 51 classrooms and 36 boreholes claimed to have been completed by Engr Seyi Makinde-led government in three years”.
SPN added, ” considering the terrible state of our public education both the cancellation of the N3, 000 and entrance examination fees including the free distribution of the exercise books is like scratching the problem at the surface”.
” With the current huge debt profile of Oyo State which is around N200billion now and increasing decline in Federal allocation to the state, owing to the acclaimed subsidy payment, there is every likelihood in the coming period that the federal allocation to the state will be squarely dedicated to debt servicing and repayment”.
The party pointed out that ” this means that the government given its pro-capitalist orientation will have no choice than to squarely depends on aggressive imposition of taxes on the workers as mean of generating revenue for the State most of which will be devoted for the serving and maintenance of the opulence and wasteful lifestyle of the pro-capitalist politicians and their acolytes”.
” To us in SPN , all the propaganda, media noise and misconception built around the cancellation of N3,000 and the free supply of exercise books are just a mere grandstanding and populism deliberately aimed at deceiving the poor people to believe that the Makinde-led regime is different from the previous regimes”.
The party declared , ” the plain truth is that there is no fundamental different in term of programme, economic approach and orientation between Engr Seyi Makinde-led government and the preceeding governments including the discredited late Senator Ajimobi-led government”.
” We of the SPN would have joined in the celebration of some of these acclaimed interventions and projects regarding their importance to the education sector in the State had it been they are being driven by the philosophy which its fundamental motive is to genuinely reposition the Education sector in the overall interest of the general public. Unfortunately, this is not the case!
” Take for instance, the so called cancellation of the N3,000 and entrance examination fees imposed on secondary school students and students transiting from primary to secondary school respectively by the immediate past regime led by Senator Abiola Ajimobi in the state including the free distribution of six exercise books for primary and secondary school students in the state were branded as free education programmes.”
SPN said, ” this is a huge falsification and misrepresentation, adding, ” although, we welcome the cancellation of N3,000 fee firstly on the ground that its introduction in the first instance was anti-people and unjust. Secondly, is because it tends to bring a kind of temporary relieve to mass of the poor parents of working class background.”
The party noted, ” however, we strongly believe that free education transcends a mere cancellation of N3,000 fees including free distribution of six (6) exercise books per student, saying, ” as far as we are concerned, free education entails so many things like the expansion and modernisation of physical infrastructure like classrooms, laboratories, library, sick-bed, including the provision of free meals, textbooks and possibly uniforms and bursary to students.”
” Also central to the delivery of free and quality education is a well-trained and competent teachers with provision of impressive remuneration.To us in SPN , all of the propaganda, media noise and misconception built around the cancellation of N3,000 and the free supply of exercise books are just a mere grandstanding and populism deliberately aimed at deceiving the poor people to believe that the Makinde-led regime is different from the previous regimes.”
