Gov. Rauf Aregbesola
Governor of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola on Wednesday said one of the best strategies to maintain the beauty. Sustainability and functionality of education institutions is to make the host communities take up their ownership in the respective communities.
He said education remains the only a society can function properly.
He observed these during the inauguration of 14, 000-member Community Based School Management Committee (CBSMC) in Osogbo on Thursday.
Members are to work across as Management Committee in Elementary Schools; Management Board in Middle Schools and Management Council in High Schools.
The committee members were drawn from the 30 local government councils and one area office.
Aregbesola said after providing all the things needed in the sector, the next in this the welding all these together into an organic whole, by putting in place an effective management system.
He stated that the best management approach is a community based one, adding that this is a global practice.
According to the Governor, those imbued with the right sense of ownership are in the best position to drive an organisation or possess it for it to be successful.
He said “Education is critical to every society because it is an area where any society cannot afford to fail.
” First, it is through education that every society renews itself by socialising its new members into its past; for them to be able to properly grasp the present; and secure the future. It is through education that the intellect is cultivated, character is built and an individual becomes adjusted to society.
“Education is also the primary instrument of development. The knowledge that drives development is introduced to every pupil through systematised learning.
“While there have been geniuses and outstanding individuals who affected our world positively through creativity and innovation without acquiring formal education, the making of our world as it is today is the product of knowledge acquired though education in the sciences, technology, engineering, arts, entertainment and so on.
Aregbesola said the trend in the world today is that education has been digitalised, knowledge-based and competitive, adding that one cannot but conclude that the future belongs to those who have very good education.
He noted that government is bringing in the community because it wants them to have ownership of the schools since the community is the stakeholder in education.
He stressed that failure of any school in moral, educational, physical standards is collective failure of the community.
He however warned the committee to see the task as a call to service and not a political patronage.
He continued: “You should also note that this appointment is not a political reward. It is not a call to political patronage, primitive accumulation and self-aggrandisement.
“Rather, it is a solemn call to the building of our society. It is a call to be part of history; it is a call to be remembered in the future when credits are given to those who stood to be counted in the making of an informed society.”
Earlier in her remarks, the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, said education is the pivot of development and upon which a nation is built.
She said it is this education that forms the focal point of the Aregbesola administration in the last five years.
The Deputy Governor stated that government inaugurated the management committee so as to take management of schools and by extension education, to the grassroots level.
She said by the involvement of the communities hosting the schools, government thus demonstrated the fact that the communities are key stakeholders in development of education in the state.
She continued: “Education is a pivot of development. It is a fulcrum upon which a nation’s development is hinged.
“This is what Aregbesola’s government has focused on in the last five years.
“With the inauguration of the committee, government has taken management of schools to the grassroots.”
She therefore tasked the committee to maintain the school appropriately and not to hesitate drawing the attention ofgovernment to any anomaly detected.
In his opening speech, the Permanent Secretary of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr. Fatai Kolawole, said the community management committee was established in order to rejuvenate and reform the education at Elementary, Middle and High schools in the state.
Kolawole stated that the supervision of schools will engender feedback from all the communities playing host to the schools because of their involvement.
He noted that the composition of the management committee is very broad as it encompasses all stake holders including teachers, representatives of the traditional rulers, parent forum, women group, old students’ association, community Development Association (CDA) pupils/students and artisans.
According to him, “This innovative move will assist government to quickly gather information on the goings-on in schools across the state.”
Responding on behalf of the inaugurated board, Pa Samuel Oladepo Omodunni from Olorunda Local Government, commended the government for the novelty in art of management introduced by Aregbesola.
He commended the government for the involvement of the community, promising that “The committee will work assiduously to achieve the purpose with which the government established the committee.
“We shall not disappoint you or shirk in our responsibilities towards developing our education sector.”
The Government of Osun again added another state of the art school to its growing list of modern schools as the state capital, Osogbo, went agog for the commissioning ceremony of the Anthony Udofia Government Elementary School in Osogbo.
Former Military Governor of the state, Anthony Udofia, whose name the school bears, was in town to witness the unveiling of what was a ramshackle school and now a world class learning environment.
The Governor at the commissioning ceremony also commended the mainstream Civil Servants for not taking the bait and falling prey to what he called the infernal political schemes of failed politicians whom the people of this state have consistently rejected at the polls.
Aregbesola stated that elementary school is the basic of the basic education, hence, any child with a good elementary school foundation will have no problem making progress educationally.
The newly commissioned complex has the capacity to seat 960-pupils with 24 classrooms of 40 pupils each, an ICT room, a library, multi-purpose hall, 29 toilets, offices for headmaster, facility manager, staff room, food court, sick bay, security/reception office and a water fountain for aesthetics.
Aregbesola held that his administration is building 100 Elementary schools like the newly commissioned school across the state, saying the building of 100 of such may look ambitious, but an idea that will make elementary public school available in every neighbourhood.
The governor, who was filled with joy, added that his administration has been able to build across the state public schools that can compete with the best in the world.
He stressed that the commissioning of schools and other infrastructures are in fulfillment of government’s promise to provide functional basic education for the pupils in the state.
Aregbesola said, “I am happy and fulfilled that we have public schools that can compete with the best in the world and indeed, our new schools are the ones to beat around here.
“All these are in fulfillment of our promise to provide functional basic education for the pupils in the state. This stems from our conviction that every child is owed basic education. It is a fundamental and inalienable right of every child.
“Basic education is basic, pardon my tautology. A good basic education fulfills the definition of literacy as the ability to read and write and is a solid foundation on which other superstructure of vocational training or higher education can be built upon”. He emphasised.
Aregbesola described as ignorant and unreasonable the idea of reducing government to paying salaries alone.
He added that his government is fully conscious of her legal and moral obligations to workers, yet, the truth is that workers are less than five per cent of the population of the state over whom his administration owes responsibilities as a government.
He said, “The idea therefore that all state’s resources must be spent on workers alone is insane, unsustainable and impossible.
“Some set of people have been inciting workers and pensioners to rebellion, subversion and sabotage, with the intent of destabilising the state and disrupting the peace of our communities.
“In the past, they have made futile attempts to precipitate religious crisis by inciting Christians against Muslims in the state. It did not fly. They have also made repeated but failed efforts at inciting Civil Servants against the government”.
On the building of schools, Aregbesola added that building of state of the art schools and other innovations are the products of the educational summit held immediately after the inauguration of his administration.
He stated that government is constructing 100 brand new Elementary Schools, 50 Middle Schools and 20 High Schools, out of which 14 Elementary Schools, 15 Middle Schools and 11 High Schools have been completed or receiving finishing touches and awaiting commissioning.
The Governor also pointed out that it is financially challenging for his administration in fulfilling her commitment to complete these school projects and other obligations citing the present economic challenges facing the country.
”As at Friday January 8, the new OPEC Reference of 13 Crude Basket which includes Nigeria’s Bonny Light sold for $28.46. This is a new low for the cascading price of crude oil, the life line of the nation’s economy, which hit a dazzling height of $140 in 2013.
“It is a crude awakening to the grim fact that any hope of allocation from the Federation Accounts is gone. We must therefore face the twin realities of first living within our means and making our own money. We must be engaged in productive activities that will lead to job creation, wealth creation and generous taxation to the government.
“Our people must work hard and double their productivity. We must all be engaged in one productive activity or the other. The youths, especially fresh graduates and school leavers, must find something to do, especially in agriculture”.
In his remarks, the former Military Administrator of the state, Rtd. Navy Captain Anthony Udofia commended Aregbesola for his love for the upliftment of education in the state.
Udofia noted that education must not be left in the hands of private investors only, saying government schools if well taken care of can compete favourably with any private school in the country.
He added that all hands must be on deck to ensure that children are educated for them to be useful to the state and the country at large.
According to him, “When I first received the call that I am wanted in Osun, I was shocked because immediately the caller called the network went bad, I tried putting a call back but I couldn’t get through. I was shocked to hear that I am wanted in Osun considering the mood of the nation on anti-corruption.
“I am happy to be here, I am impressed with the standard of the school built, I commend the governor, he is seriously in love with education, I have heard about your doings in the state, keep up with the good work.
“I want to also state here that I will forever be grateful to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, because I benefited from his free education. Any governor in the Western region states that does not believe or take education seriously has a lot of problems at hand. If you don’t educate children, they will not be useful to you,” The former Military administrator stated.
Dignitaries at the commissioning ceremony includes; the former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, Osun Deputy Speaker, Hon, Akintunde Adegboye, Secretary to the Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti and the Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.
Others are Chief Judge of Osun, Mrs. Adepele Ojo, former Chief of Staff to Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Elder Peter Babalola, Chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Osun, Prince Gboyega Famodun, Juju Maestro, King Sunny Ade amongst other dignitaries.
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