It’s generally and widely believed that the best legacy a true and responsible parent, even a nation, can bequeath to a child or children is education. That’s not to say that other bequests or inheritances are irrelevant; but it’s through education (an enlightening experience) the young ones can confidently generate their own wealth and acquire their property.
Education, of course, does not only create wealth, it also breeds and allows a peaceful society. Any government which desires tranquility will never take the education of the youths lightheartedly and jocularly. Apart from leveraging education to enhance their livelihoods, government can as well lead youths easily and seamlessly if they’re satisfactorily educated.
The benefits of education provided could be the reason the likes of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo embarked on the journey of making education accessible not only to their own children but also to the children of the poor. They quite believed that if the children of the poor were not adequately trained and educated, their unrest would definitely turn to be a thorn in the flesh of their children. They would make life uncomfortable and unlivable for the children of the rich who were appropriately schooled and educated.
Fortunately, it’s the belief and conviction these past leaders had in the power of education that propelled them to implement policies that made education affordable for the current Nigerian leaders, the class the governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, belongs. There’s no doubt that the opportunity of schooling without a stress during the time that education was affordable helped Makinde and his colleagues to attain the levels they find themselves today.
If not for the compassionate gesture the former leaders extended, in term of affordable education, to the current leaders, many of them, the latter, wouldn’t have been where they are today. The question now is: why are the very same people who benefited considerably from free or affordable education are finding it difficult to extend same gesture to present day’s children?
WHAT A PAINFUL AND DISTRESSING INCREMENT!
Few days ago, Oyo state residents woke up to the distressing news of the unanticipated and precipitous increase in the tuition fees of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), a state/public university where the hope of poor and average parents lies. And this made people to wonder why the institution’s fees should be increased substantially now that the allocations from the FG to state governments have risen fourfold owing to the subsidy removal which has already put a lot of burdens on many Nigerians.
Since the increase was officially made known through the student portals, both the students and their parents have been lamenting and groaning over the sudden increment. One parent who spoke with me said that the moment the news was made known, he was immediately down with high blood pressure.
“The increment has given me high blood pressure since I heard about it. Where on earth would I get the money? I’m over 60 years. I can’t hustle now like when I was young.” And another parent agitated, “This is wickedness! This isn’t what the governor promised. If we had noticed this, we wouldn’t have voted for him to come back for second term.” These are exactly the lamentations and grievances of some parents over the sharp, sudden and unexpected increase in LAUTECH school fees.
Even many students are yet to know the next move. They were surprised and frowned at the governor’s decision— when they opened their portals and saw the mammoth percentages that were added to their tuition fees, to warrant the increase at this period of economic crisis: hike in the prices of foods, scarcity of money to acquire essential commodities inter alia.
Of course many didn’t expect Makinde, whom they believed was a compassionate governor, to make such sudden, insensitive and inconsiderate decision. They didn’t expect the governor to make a resolution which could lead many LAUTECH students to drop out of the institution and be sent to the street.
What really could have informed and brought about the impromptu increase? Has Makinde forgotten the promises he made during the campaign for second term and in his second inaugural speech immediately he was sworn-in for second tenure in office at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium?
Makinde said that one of his agenda in his OMITUNTUN 2.0 was to return 50,000 out-of-school children to classrooms. But today, people want to know what exactly has happened to the promises. They want to know if the recent increase in LAUTECH tuition fees was one of the methods the governor had planned to attract more students to classrooms. Is this a way to encourage students or a way to force them out of schools?
Who precisely suggested this unfavourable and harsh decision to the governor during the time that many parents of these students can hardly eat a square meal a day? Is Makinde even aware that many of these students sponsor themselves through thick and thin to pay their tuitions? What is likely to be the fate of many LAUTECH students now that the governor had made a decision that could throw frustration and depression in the midst of the students?
AND THE MEDIA ARE SILENT
Martin Luther king Jr said and I quote: “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people”.
Many wonder why no one, notably media houses in Oyo state, has raised a voice to condemn the merciless decision the governor has just forced on the students of LAUTECH and their parents.
When Late Abiola Ajimobi was the governor of Oyo state, we witnessed how a decision to reposition the way the management of LAUTECH was spending the institution funds received unending criticisms from the media. Ajimobi’s decision was met with many attacks from all quarters. So why are the media in Oyo state keeping quiet today as if the present governor had done something commendable?
The students of LAUTECH did not only protest against Ajimobi’s administration back then, they also went to the secretariat to register their grievances. Even the students rained derogatory remarks on the late governor owing to the restructure Ajimobi’s administration proposed then. Why are everybody keeping quiet today?
ANY ESSENCE OF HUGE ALLOCATION FOR EDUCATION?
Since 2010, according to a report, the budget on education in Oyo state has never been over 18 percent of the total budget. But when Makinde became governor in 2019, he pledged to increase the budget on education to over 20 percent to meet the standard set by UNESCO. And true to his words, he, in the 2020 budget, earmarked 22 percent, about #47 billion to cater for education sector in the state.
Not only this N1.2 billion was allocated to Oyo state library board. But unfortunately, since five and a half years of being in government and with the huge funds being inserted into Oyo state library, almost no significant change is yet to be seen. I challenge anyone who doubt this to visit Oyo state library at Dugbe Ibadan and see the present condition of the library.
Since 2020 up until today, the budget for education has not been less than 20%, so why haven’t we seen significant impacts in education sector? Why do we still have dilapidated buildings in public schools in the state?
Similarly in 2024 budget, Makinde presented N434, 221, 765, 938 out of which the education got largest allocation, 20.88 percent. And also in the recently presented 2025 budget of N678.86 billion, 21.22% was projected for education (from #90.6 billion in 2024 to N145.25 billion in 2025). I ask again: Is there any significant justification to show for the huge amounts that have been inserting into education sector since the inception of this administration?
With the allocations being earmarked for education each year, people care to know why unbearable burden should again be put on the parents and the students of the LAUTECH. These parents believe this is the time the governor is supposed to give succour to them. They do not expect the governor to add to the hardship they’re at the moment going through.
ARE SUGs STILL ALIVE?
Are there Student Union Governments (SUGs) in higher institutions in Nigeria again? Even the SUG, whose responsibility are to represent the interests of LAUTECH students, are silent about the issue. What has actually happened to Student Union in higher institutions in Nigeria at present? Do they still exist? If the answer is yes, why are LAUTECH SUG keeping quiet over the high-handedness of the governor?
How could tuition fees be raised without a notice to the students and their parents? Anyway, this can happen in institutions where unions like SUG are incapacitated. Even if there was a need to raise tuition fees, nobody would ever expect such huge percentages that were added.
REVERSE YOUR DECISION OR…
Who will tell Makinde that his decision to increase LAUTECH tuitions at this time of hardship is not at all well received by the students and their parents? They are, at the moment, lamenting! They cry that if the governor really means what he usually says that he wants to use education to make his vision for the state realized, he wouldn’t have engaged in a move which could send many students at once out of LAUTECH.
In my opinion, the only option available to Gov. Makinde is to either reverse the decision or reduce the fees to bearable amount. But if the governor think he can do this and escape people’s wrath this time around, he must be living in the world of illusion.
Ademola ‘Bablow’ Babalola can be reached via babalolaademola39@gmail.com
