Omisore, who spoke with journalists in Akure after paying a condolence visit to the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF) Chief Olu Falae, on the death of his son, Deji, in an ill-fated Associated Airlines plane crash, said the action was a reflection of lack of administrative qualities.
“It is unfortunate that this is happening to us in the 21st Century, I believe that it is a sign of lack of content and lack of in-depth administrative qualities in the area of education.
“Now schools are being merged, schools of different culture, different background, some are males only, some are females only, they are now being merged under the guise of educational policy. I think that is a beginning of gangsterism, activism; I think that the government is under siege, he is confused,” he said.
Omisore said the people have the right to protest the merger because it was against their wish and aspiration particularly when in many states, schools are being returned to the missionaries.
“The schools are part of the people communism, schools are founded by missionaries, like Baptist College, St John’s Primary School, Ahmadiyah College among others. They have different proprietors, so you must be a listening governor, government is for the people not for yourself.
“You may have a very good idea, very laudable but it must be acceptable to the people of the state. The state should have gone beyond the state we are now. We have passed this level, a child has to walk about seven kilometers to school in the morning.
“We are going to end up having dropouts, thugs, early pregnancies. It is not me, it is just a reaction of the people but the government is not facing the facts. They are now trying to blame other people for their action,” he said.
Omisore said education mismanagement, was now taking toll on the performance of students in terminal examination.
“As I speak today, performance of students of the state in NECO has dropped to 31 per cent, our entrance to the university and polytechnic has dropped by 37 per cent in 2007, Osun came second in NECO in the whole Nigeria but now we are number 34, so what else do you want? Our people are well educated, well resourceful. I am telling you we are going to eject the young man out of the Government House in 2014 by God’s grace,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Muslim group, Joint Muslims Action Forum (JOMAF), has faulted the protest against merger plan of schools by the state government.
The group in a statement issued and made available to THISDAY yesterday, advised Christians to be wary of mischief-makers and embrace the new education policy of Aregbesola.
Apart from Omisore, a group in the Catholic Dioceses of Osogbo and Ibadan, had threatened to take legal action against the state government if it failed to rescind the merger plan described it as “obnoxious educational policy.
The Catholic Media Practitioners (CAMP) in a statement made available to journalists said the merging of Catholic schools with others was unacceptable to the church, saying it was out of the structures and principles upon which the schools were originally established.
The Catholic Media Practitioners, which comprises members of the church working in various media organisations and media related fields said that missionary schools established by various religious groups and denominations had purpose and tenets upon which the school were established.
The release stated: “We condemn in strong terms, the merging of our schools in Osun State with some other schools as a result of the obnoxious educational policy of the state government.
“We are particularly sad that schools like St. Charles Grammar School, Osogbo and St. John Grammar School, Ile-Ife which were boys’ school now joined together with female schools.
Also the Muslim group faulted critics of Aregbesola’s education policy and condemned protest staged over the matter.
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