Stakeholders in the education sector in Oyo State have kicked against the proposed handing over of Government College, Ibadan, GCI, to Government College Ibadan Old Boys Association, GCIOBA, stating that it is an attempt to hand over property of the public to some individuals.
The stakeholders made this assertion while addressing a joint press conference in Ibadan, the state capital.
It would be recalled that the state government, a few days ago, announced its plan to hand over the institution to the old students.
But the stakeholders among whom are members of Joint Action Front, JAF, Oyo state chapter; Parents Teachers Associations, PTA, of GCI; Centre for Public Education; Take it Back Movement and indigenes of host communities, called on Governor Seyi Makinde to rescind his decision.
The JAF Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye, who was flanked by Prof. Ayoola Akinwole, of Centre for Public Education; Chairman, GCI PTA (Senior School), Prince Adeniji Adeniyi; Chairman, GCI PTA (Junior School 1), Mr. Owosibo Olusegun; Chairman, GCI PTA (Junior School 2), Mr. Adebamiji Olatunde, and representatives of the host communities, Mr. Babalola S.V. and Mr. Mudasiru Raji, described the plan as an attempt by some individuals to take over what belongs to the people of Oyo State and appropriate it to be their own, insisting that such step was a calculated attempt to give public property to some individuals who saw themselves as friends and associates of the government of the day.
Bamigboye said, “This group of people only want to take over what belongs to the people of Oyo State and appropriate it to be their own. There is nothing charitable about this take over. It is a calculated attempt to give public property to some individuals who see themselves as friends and associates of the government of the day. The attraction to this school could be the large piece of land in a choice environment in the metropolis. This whole exercise is nothing but privatisation agenda and commercialization of education.
“Handing over schools to old students’ association is a misnomer. How does one handover what does not belong to someone to him or her? This is unknown to the history of education especially in the south western part of this country and it is alien particularly to Oyo State.
“This handing over is an admittance of failure of governance by the state government. The Oyo State government is surreptitiously telling the people that it cannot manage public properties. Government College Ibadan is a public property.
“If the old boys’ association is so interested in school ownership and administration, the laws of Nigeria allow them as a body to establish their own schools and run them the way they like. GCI belongs to the people of Oyo State and it should remain as such. The Seyi Makinde-led administration should make real his promises: to fight corruption, obedience to rule of law and allowing social justice for the benefit of the greatest number of people who live in Oyo state. To handover this school will negate any effort he has made so far in the state.
“We insist that the handing over is a surreptitious way of giving public institutions to private individuals which is a neo-liberalist agenda. The JAF hereby joins well-meaning citizens of Nigeria to condemn this decision in all ramifications and call for a reversal immediately.”
Akinwole while speaking, advised Makinde to rescind his decision in the interest of the public, stating that “the government should rescind the decision. It is wrong. And nobody was consulted before the decision was taken. No consultation.”
The duo of Babalola and Raji, who spoke on behalf of the six villages who gave the government the land where the school was built, said the communities would sue the government to reclaim the land should it go ahead to hand over the institution to the old students.
They revealed that the land was given to the government for public usage, noting that any attempt to hand over the institution to the old students would amount to betrayal of trust.
