Parents of students of the Government College, Ibadan, have kicked against plans by the Oyo State Government to hand over the institution to Government College Ibadan Old Boys’ Association (GCIOBA).
The parents made this disclosure via a petition addressed to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
Our correspondent gathered that the state government has said that it has concluded arrangements to hand over the secondary school to GCIOBA led by Mr. Wale Babalakin.
But, the parents have kicked against the move.
The parents, in the letter signed by Prince Adeniji Adeniyi (P.T.A. Chairman, Senior School), Mr. Owosibo Olusegun, (P.T.A. Chairman (Junior School) and Mr. Adebamiji Olatunde (P.T.A.Chairman, Junior School 2) advised relevant agencies to beam their searchlight on the activities of GCIOBA.
The trio in the letter, which had also been sent to Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development and other relevant stakeholders, warned that privatization of public schools in the state may spring up unprecedented crisis.
They said that the people behind the College take over are after the resources in the school.
They alleged that the old students are planing to use the land mass and the staff quarters scattered within the College environment for their own selfish reasons.
The parents, in the letter made available to DAILY POST on Thursday said, “We (Parents) find this action as nothing but a betrayal of trust between the Government and the masses of the State, especially in the education sector as clearly stated in the inaugural address by Your Excellency during the Swearing-in-Ceremony at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan on May 29, 2019.
“The College that ought to serve the community is now to serve the selected few and the Government is indirectly ceding the heritage of the State to the selected few.
“The people behind the College take over are after the resources in the school, most especially, the land mass and the staff quarters scattered within the College environment for their own selfish interest.
“The planned hand over and takeover of the college using the strategy of the platform of old students claiming to be non-profit while operating as a profit making organization without adopting necessary financial controls of extant financial laws and regulation of the State. The promise of complying with the free education policy of the Oyo State Government is a bait and it does not reduce the likelihood that they will not engage in predatory behavior that harms the student, the school, the community and the people of Oyo State in general. Takeover of public asset without following the complete due process have characteristics that are cause for concern.
“Privatization of public schools in the state may spring up unprecedented crisis in the State, as we heard on good authority that some members of public, especially the communities who donated its land to the Government for public use are against the takeover of public schools by for- profit Executives or Associations and which may adversely affect this government thereby eroding all the gains and achievements achieved by this government in the last three years.
“We want the relevant agencies to beam their searchlight on the activities of the Old boys at Government College Ibadan. The Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue to look into the affairs of the Profit making Hall erected on Government landed property without any returns to the State Government, in terms of taxes or revenue.”
