Aregbesola, Oyetola’s aides bicker over Osun school uniform

 

 

A former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under immediate past Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osun state, Kolapo Alimi, and the present Chief Press Secretary to Governor Gboyega Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan, Tuesday argued over the state of education in the state. 

The duo of the aides spoke on a radio programme, “Frank Talk’ in Osogbo, Osun state. 

While Alimi said the policy of Aregbesola on education did not in any way dictate the poor performance of APC in the last election, Omipidan stated  that the refusal to listen to the people and insistence on same uniform affected the party. 

 Alimi said: “In 2018, APC won 17 local governments, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in 10, ADP in 1 and Socialist Democratic Party won 2. The margin of 353 after the first ballot was because of the movement of zoning to west which favored PDP candidate, not as a result of policy summersault. 

He said: “We are not saying the policy shouldn’t be reviewed but in reviewing the policy, you have to take into consideration the reason for the introduction of the policy. 

“Policies of the government are meant to achieve certain things, at least the welfare of the people. Even while Aregbesola was there, we reviewed the policy on uniform. Initially, we introduced the use of Adire as the collar for the children at the elementary schools but after three years we discovered that it was fading out and during the last exco meeting we had in the first tenure, we changed it to Khaki.” 

 The committee set up by Oyetola has recommended reversal of same school uniform to the governor. 

The CPS to Oyetola said the recommendation for the reversal of same school uniform has not been approved but the governor will not shy away from taking any decision that will help the future of the children and the unborn in the state. 

Omipidan said, “In any policy, there is what we call unintended consequences. As at the time when those decisions were taken, probably the state doesn’t take to cognizance the issue we now face in schools on security and indiscipline by the reason of the single uniform policy. Even with the single uniform, are pupils not still putting on tattered uniforms?”

He said one of the demands of people during the thank you visit embarked upon by Oyetola was the need to reverse the same school uniform. 

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