Abiola Ajimobi: 'Oyo State Government not selling schools,' Governor says

Ajimobi said it was good for people to seek clarification on matters they did not understand, rather than misinform the public and resort to violence.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State says the Public Private Partnership (PPP) policy on education in the state is not designed to sell secondary schools in the state.

The governor said this on Friday, June 3, in Ibadan when he received some officers of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS).

Ajimobi said it was good for people to seek clarification on matters they did not understand, rather than misinform the public and resort to violence.

He bemoaned the attitude of labour leaders in the state, following the disruption of a stakeholders' meeting organised by the state government to share ideas on the policy.

The governor said those who came to disrupt the meeting should have come there to say no to the policy, rather than resorting to brigandage, destruction and passing innuendos.

"The era of brigandage, destruction and lawlessness is gone and we won't allow such again here.

"Many of those who participated in the protest have their children in private schools; they are not even in the services of the state government but derive pleasure in disrupting public peace."

He said the state government in 2012 held an educational summit, where certain findings were gathered.

"Our findings were categorised into school management system, infrastructure, quality and quantity of teachers, likewise quality of students,’’ the governor said.

According to him, the government, based on the findings, has decided to rectify identified problems, for the citizens to get the best of the education they are paying for.

Ajimobi said that the PPP was just about a group of people partnering the state government in the development of some schools in the state.

Earlier, the General Secretary of NANS, Mr Olanrewaju Oloja, said the team visited the governor to seek clarification on the intention of the state government's PPP policy on secondary schools.

Oloja, who appreciated the governor for his usual support to the students in the state, called on him to support them with payment of bursary.

READ: NLC slams Ajimobi over arrest of labour leaders

He appealed to the government to make education affordable, improve the quality, and ensure better welfare of workers.

The general secretary also urged the governor not to retrench teachers.