OSUN: MEGA SCHOOLS’ UNENDING CONTROVERSIES

From inception, the introduction of Mega Schools in Osun State, was dogged by stories of demolition. About 4,000 existing school buildings in existence then, had to give way to the construction of new Mega Schools. Without adequate consultation with the people, the government of Aregbesola embarked on a massive demolition of schools. The hidden motive was, however, to wipe away all PDP legacies in Osun State. Some of the demolished schools were recently built by SUBEB. It was like madness. The cost of the demolitions was humongous. It was enough to renovate half of those schools to whatever standard he wished or build hundreds of schools in other locations and improve the facilities in Schools.

As at March this year, Ogbeni Aregbesola said about N14.4 billion had been spent on the construction of 39 Mega Schools (13 Primary, 14 middle, 12 High Schools). This puts the average cost of one School at about N400 million. In his first year in office, the government could complete only one Mega School out of 170 initially proposed. Overall, it plans to build 900 of such schools to replace the demolished bunch. Unfortunately, Ogbeni Aregbesola has achieved less than 5% of his target in almost four years of his administration.

For a governor seeking a re-election, this is indeed a woeful performance and massive enough to earn him an immediately sack, for toying with the future of our youth. At this snail speed of construction of Mega Schools, it will take Ogbeni more than twenty tenures of four years each to achieve his set target. This is one of those hard routes Aregbesola has taken Osun State in the last four years. Consequently, our education has descended the stairs of educationally performing States in Nigeria. Our performance in both WAEC and NECO has declined to below the 2011 benchmarks when Aregbesola took over the mantle of leadership.

The massive demolitions of Schools have, without doubt, taken a debilitating toll on the standard of education in Osun schools. By UNESCO standard, there shouldn’t be more than 30-35 Students in one classroom. But in Osun today, we have 80-100 in a classroom. Yet, Aregbesola wants Osun people to hail him for a job well done? This is a wishful thinking.

Yesterday, one of those Mega Schools collapsed, injuring people. We thank God our students were not in that collapsed building. That incident raises many questions about the quality of Aregbesola’s project. Reputed for boasting that his projects were of the highest quality standard, while deriding PDP projects, we wait with baited breaths for his verdict on this. How prudent and transparent have these projects been? Who are the beneficiaries? How have our Osun people/local economy benefited from them?

The good news is that, we have an election in less than one month; it is an opportunity to pass a verdict on the Aregbesola’s performance in the last four years. Almost all his experiments with the people and our resources are failing and falling apart. It is doubtful, if his performance could recommend him for a re-election in Osun State. Like that African proverb says: He who thinks he is leading without the people following him, is just talking a walk. Aregbesola should be told that all the attendance at his rallies and programmes are government protocol induced. No one tells a deaf that the market is over. Let nobody input the “stomach infrastructure” theory into this.

I read the OMISORE MANIFESTO on EDUCATION where He has promised to reverse all the negative policies of Aregbesola in the education sector. He will also restore Fakunle High School; the pride of Osogbo people to its former status. He will untie all the merged schools and restore normalcy and confidence to the education sector. That is listening to the voice of the people. That is connecting with the people. Now, there is a choice. Let us vote wisely..