Ibadan Old Boys advise govt on education, economy

Minister of Education, Professor Ruqqayatu Rufa'i
| credits: File copy

Government College Ibadan Old Boys Association, 1962 Set, has called for a complete overhauling of the education sector to attain the best standards.

It also called for a national conference to discuss the challenges facing the sector.

The Chairman of the set, Chief Kayode Rotimi-Williams; the National President, Chief Banwo Smith; the Principal, Pastor Simeon Olusola Oladele and other speakers made the call during a dinner/fund raising/Golden Jubilee anniversary of the set, held in Ibadan, Oyo State, recently.

A statement signed by Aramide Tola Noibi, who is in charge of publicity, read, “The members of the political class, leaders in authority, as well as other stakeholders in the education sector have been charged not to play politics with education any longer but to, rather, effectively and constructively re-engineer the mechanism of a functional, aggressive educational structure.”

 It explained that this could be done through partnership with school communities, especially with members of alumni associations, to find a lasting solution to “the present unfortunate, dilapidated, obsolete infrastructure and the total neglect of the teaching and non-teaching staff in order to adequately obtain the very best in them at all times.”

The statement further said, “While calling for a revisiting of the old-time educational structure, standards and mass improvement of the school communities, teachers and non-teaching staff, the set called for a national conference on the educational sector, with a view to proffering an enduring solution to the unfortunate collapse of the industry.”

While berating the menace of commercial motorcycle operators, popularly called Okada, the members called for a turnaround of the nation’s economy through adequate power supply.

“Unfortunately Okada riders are regarded as the product of the economy, society and the nation, stemming from the maladministration of some past and current leaders, especially some members of the political class whose ultimate goal is greed, heartlessness and nonchalant attitudes to improve positively, the plight of others.

“To this end, the set therefore, called for a complete turnaround of the economy, especially in the areas of absolute revamping of the present unfortunate socio-economic infrastructure to power the economy, thus providing adequate job opportunities, especially through functional power supply.”