The Joint Action Front (JAF), Oyo State chapter, Parents Teachers Associations (PTA) of GCI, Centre for Pubic Education, Take It Back Movement and host communities have flayed Governor Seyi Makinde over his plan to handover Government College Ibadan to
the Old Boys Association (GCIOBA).
They described the plan as an attempt to hand over public property to some individuals and urged the governor to halt his decision.
JAF Secretary, Abiodun Bamigboye while addressing journalists described the plan as an attempt by some individuals to take over what belongs to the people of Oyo State and appropriate same as personal property.
Bamigboye explained that such a step is a calculated attempt to give public property to some individuals who see themselves as friends and associates of the current administration in the state.
According to Bamigboye, “This group of people only want to take over what belongs to the people of Oyo State and appropriate it to be their own. There is nothing charitable about this takeover. It is a calculated attempt to give public property to some individuals who see themselves as friends and associates of the government of the day. The attraction to this school could be the large piece of land in a choice environment in the metropolis.
”This whole exercise is nothing but a privatisation agenda and commercialization of education.Handing over schools to old students’ association is a misnomer. How does one hand over what does not belong to someone to him or her? This is unknown to the history of education, especially in the southwestern part of this country and it is alien, particularly to Oyo State.
“This handing over is an admittance of failure of governance by the state government. The Oyo state government is surreptitiously telling the people that it cannot manage public properties. Government College Ibadan is public property.If the old boys’ association is so interested in school ownership and administration, the laws of Nigeria allow them as a body to establish their own schools and run them the way they like. GCI belongs to the people of Oyo State and it should remain as such.
”The Seyi Makinde led administration should make real his promises, to fight corruption, obedience to rule of law and allow social justice for the benefit of the greatest number of people who live in Oyo state. To hand over this school will negate any effort he has made so far in the state.
“We insist that the handing over is a surreptitious way of giving public institutions to private individuals which is a neoliberalist agenda. The JAF, hereby, join well-meaning citizens of Nigeria to condemn this decision in all ramifications and call for a reversal immediately.
Also speaking, Professor Ayoola Akinwole of the Centre for Public Education advised Governor Makinde to rescind his decision in the interest of the public.
