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Ondo APC, PDP trade words over school privatisation

Razaq Bamidele

The issue of alleged privatisation of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Staff School, Owo, Ondo State, has become a bone of contention between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Firing the first salvo was the PDP in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity in the state, Zadok Akintoye, who expressed sadness that the staff school of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic is about to be privatised by its Gov­erning Council.

The PDP alleged that the school is slated to be handed over to cronies of government.

According to the PDP, “Since the inception of the Akeredolu/APC­-led administration in this state, the governor has shown manifestly that he is averse to the provi­sion of affordable, subsidised and good quality education to our people,” the statement added.

But in a swift reaction to the allegation, the state’s chapter of the APC, in a statement, signed by its Public Secretary, Mr. Alex Kalejaye, expressed disappointment in the PDP’s wrong reasoning which was described as unimaginable level of ignorance.

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“The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State is appalled by the seeming resolve of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to paint as evil any policy of the current administration.

“Unfortunately, the party betrays unimaginable level of ignorance on each attempt.

“The latest is the issue of Staff School, Rufus Giwa Polythecnic, Owo. The opposition party laboured in vain to discredit the APC-led government over a decision of an autonomous body.

“The state government has nothing to do with the privatisation,” Kalejaye explained.

The statement read further thus: “In all honesty, one would rather expect the PDP to applaud the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, for directing the board to immediately commence enumerating all staff of the institution that would be affected by the exercise for admission into the system. This is an uncommon intervention.

“At great pains, the APC par­ticularly views the statement credited to the PDP as an unpardonably abysmal display of shameless hypocrisy.

“Opposition should not be taken to this level of unconscienab­le lack of introspec­tive sobriety as exh­ibited by the PDP.

“The people of the On­do State have not fo­rgotten those sacked workers of the same Polytechnic that the current administra­tion re-engaged.

“It is also imperative to mention the sacked University lecturers by the PDP government that were recalled by this same administration.

“How can a party which, out of sheer cluelessness, created additional two universities it could not fund be playing to the galleries on educational issues?

“For the records, the APC government has done so much to salvage the situation in less than 30 months.

“While the present administration, as a mat­ter of policy, desires to be more forwar­d-looking rather than dissipating energy on the past, government will not hesitate to be selfless in putting records stra­ight where necessary,” the party concluded.

But the PDP still maintained its stand on the matter saying, “for the avoidance of doubt, the last three years of the life of this administration remains a period of sorrow, tears and blood in the history of Ondo state.”

The PDP’s statement further read that, “since the inception of the Akeredolu/APC­-led administration in this state, the governor has shown manifestly that he is averse to the provi­sion of affordable, subsidized and good quality education to our people.

“It is on record, that on assumption of office, Mr. Governor set up visitation pane­ls to all tertiary institutions in the state and years after the submission of the report by the vi­sitation panel, the Governor has refused to implement any of the recommendations contained in the re­port.

“Secondly, since the inception of this government, we have witnessed an unpreced­ented increase in school fees payable in all state tertiary institutions, with over 400% increment in most cases, thus ensuring that, many of our teeming youth are forced to with­draw from school due to the inability of government to allev­iate the oppressive poverty that the APC has compelled on the people.

“Thirdly, this govern­ment has reduced the monthly subvention to all tertiary inst­itutions, forcing th­em to find more ways of exploiting the students in a bid to stay afloat.

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“As at today, virtually all the tertiary institutions in Ondo State have arrears of salaries to both Academic and non-academic staff despite the increment in the Internally Generated Revenue which is a burden on its own to the entire citizen­ry of the state.

“The latest act of de­liberate disdain and unconcern to the pl­ight of the people, is the planned sale of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Staff School, which currently prov­ides educational suc­cor to hundreds of children of members of staff and the host community.

“It is also on record, that the management of the institution following the directive of the Chairman of Governing Council of the Polytechnic, Mr. Banji Alabi, has issued letters of disengagement of se­rvices to the affect­ed staff of the inst­itution, effectively terminating their sources of livelihood.

“We condemn this anti people policies of the APC-led government and put it on rec­ord, that this institution has been existing in that polytec­hnic to provide quality primary education for the children of staff and others for years and has never had a reason to be closed down, auctioned off or be sold until now.

“We condemn the privatisation at this time when lecturers are being owed huge bac­klog of salaries and call on the governor to immediately rescind such a decision. Our people cannot be made to suffer for the mismanagement of public institut­ions by crony capitalists masquerading as public administrat­ors.

“Our party therefore joins in solidarity with the members of staff of the affected institution, to demand that justice be done,” PDP’s statement also concluded.

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