Unknown persons, suspected to be hoodlums have attacked and destroyed property belonging to public primary and secondary schools in Oyo State.
Our reporter reliably gathered that the public schools became the target of attacks by hoodlum due to the inability of the schools’ management to pay for the services of security guards, particularly the night guards, who were said to have been relieved of their jobs after Governor Seyi Makinde announced the abolition of all forms of payment in public primary and secondary schools .
Meanwhile, Governor Makinde vowed to restore running grants to schools, but this promise has been abandoned or ignored.
It would be recalled that pupils in public secondary schools paid N1000 per term each under the education policy of Schools’ Governing Boards (SGBs) of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration. The N1000, which serves as ‘baseline funds’ were domiciled in the accounts of the schools for their smooth-running.
As if that were not enough, very recently, another newly constructed school – Oluyole OLGC Primary School, Ayegun, Ibadan, was visited by hoodlums and vandals.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran on Tuesday declared war on those who sabotaged some of the newly constructed Model Schools in the State, saying the present administration would treat them as saboteurs who maliciously damage government properties.
Adeniran, who decried the incessant attack, promised that when caught, perpetrators of such acts would be punished with extreme severity regardless of their political affinity.
The SUBEB boss, also alleged that these deliberate destructive acts were aided by some teachers and staff members of the school.
According to him, “It is unfortunate that these deliberate destructive acts on one of our Model schools reportedly were aided by some teachers and staff members of the school, but let me assure you that this administration would tackle the menace of thuggery among our teachers in the interest of our children.
“This government frowns at such shameful act and we promise to fish out those who master-minded this. As a government, we will not allow anybody mortgage the future of our children, for their selfish interests,” he added.
While he assured that the state government, through the Board would not take with levity vandalization of any of its properties built for the good use of pupils, Adeniran also called on community leaders to commit themselves into securing such properties built within their communities.
He further promised that government would carry out all necessary inquiries into what led to the destruction of items in the said school, saying the state government is not a toothless dog that would not bite offenders.
The SUBEB chair, however reassured that the present administration would put an end to vandals’ pandemic in the state, just as he stressed that government would put in place stiff security measures to guard schools and ensure rigid penalties for offending teachers and staff members who aid such act.
