Dr. Nureni Adeniran

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Oyo State Government has stated that it had no plan to proscribe School Governing Boards, SGBs, in public schools but had worked on reviewing the mode of operation of the initiative.

Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Adeniran who stated this today pointed out that the government in the state would further strengthen the idea of SGBs through genuine participation and inclusion of all stakeholders, but would not subscribe to extortion of the masses.

Nureni called on old students and other stakeholders to intervene and contribute to the development of their alma-maters and appealed to them not to relent in their various efforts at developing their old schools.

He said, “Oyo State Government has not proscribed SGBs in schools. Old students can still intervene in their various school projects. It is laudable and as the governor had made known in his inaugural address, any policy that is seen as beneficial to the generality of the people of Oyo State will not only be supported and but be leveraged upon. What we are ill-disposed to is the idea that some people will use the initiative to milk the unsuspecting general public, and we have worked on this to reflect the true sense of what SGB should be. We are not pleased with extortion of pupils in public schools and that is the only thing Governor Seyi Makinde’s government has put a stop to. We have never been aversed to the idea of SGBs”.

Meanwhile, Oyo State Government has expressed its displeasure towards Messrs. Stock-Shield Ltd, Geostud Energy Consult and Bumtitas Ltd contracted by the last administration for school projects and have abandoned the site.

The Federal Government- Universal Basic Education Commission and Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board intervention projects at Ebenezer Primary School, Akingbile, Olunde Junior Secondary School and Oluyole OLGC Primary School, Ayegun, respectively have been abandoned by the two contractors.

The need for the invitation extended to the contractors was based on what the state government described as ‘faulty’ quality and design of projects that were among the 2012-2013 FGN-UBEC/SUBEB projects inaugurated by the previous administration.

Speaking for the government, Adeniran said he could not understand why such projects should still be left undone and would like the contractors to show up and defend the faulty lines in the project designs.

He said, “Throughout the world, there is what we all know as accountability, especially from the one that is offering service. Also, in a situation whereby the one that is being served feels not satisfied, there should be dialogue and from there, progress. We want these contractors to show up so that we can rectify grey areas and move on”.