Madam Ololo and the protesters

With a wheel-chair, a 91-year old woman, Mrs. Roseline Ololo, on Thursday led some of her family members and sypathisers to the Lagos State House of Assembly in protest against the taking over of her family’s schools by the state government.

The Metropolitan College and the Isolo Secondary School, which she said was owned by her family, was allegedly taken over by the military government in 1976 leading to her husband’s death.

Armed with placards carrying various inscriptions, the protesters chanted songs to call passers-by to their plight.

“I am here for the government to return my schools to me. I want my schools which were seized back. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has given an order that they should return all private schools to their owners but they have not returned mine after several efforts. We have been going up and down. My husband died in the course of seeking the return of the schools we both struggled to establish,” she narrated, adding that when the schools were taken over by the military, she was not compensated.

In a letter presented to Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, the protesters demanded the return of the schools.

“We have the instruction of our client to appeal to you to investigate the basis for the refusal, neglect and/or failure of the Lagos State Government to return Metropolitan College and Isolo Secondary schools to their original owner.

“We have met with the executive and submitted series of letters but nothing has been done. We only need lawmakers to help us,” part of the letter by her counsel, Malcolm Omirhobo, read. Omirhobo added that the proprietor refused to receive the compensation the then military government offered to the affected schools.

In his reaction, Mojeed Fatai, the lawmaker representing Ibeju Lekki constituency 1, who represented the Speaker, promised that the House would look into the matter.

“We thank you for the peaceful demonstration and if there is need to to call you, we will do. I promise to deliver your message to Mr. Speaker,” he told the protesters.