2003
gubernatorial election in Osun state will linger long in the memory of many
political stalwarts in the state, most especially, Chief Bisi Akande, the
national leader of Action for Progressive Change (APC) who was then a
gubernatorial candidate in the election keenly contested with Chief Olagunsoye
Oyinlola with the later winning the election from the platform of Peoples
Democratic Party.
Prior
to the 2003 elections, it was gathered that Chief Akande who was gunning for a
second term in office took some callous decisions which affected many indigenes
and students at different levels in the state. The effects of the compelled
mass exodus of secondary school teachers from the teaching service in the state
during Chief Akande regime will continue to be a plus factor in orchestrating
his failed attempt to return to office coupled with reckless neglect of the
four state owned higher institutions – Osun state college of Eductation, Ila-
Orangun and Ilesa, Osun State polytechnic, Iree, and Osun state college of
Technology, Esa- Oke among many other contributing factors.
Few
years after, power changed hand in the state and one of Chief Akande’s
political sons, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola got the mandate to govern the state in
November 2010, after the court of appeal abolished the 2007 gubernatorial
election. Aregbesola took over from Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola in November 2010.
Since
2010, the state of Osun has experienced great developmental strides with
different lofty projects getting executed in different sectors within the
state. But one area the governor has failed is in the incessant industrial
tussle between the state lecturers downing tools, which is now termed an ‘annual
strike.’ Record has it that the lecturers went on a 5 months strike in 2011, shortly
after the governor assumed office. And again,
by December 2012, lecturers went on another 3 weeks warning strike before
embarking on a full stretched strike in March 2013 which lasted 4months,
leaving the students and the society to the menace of students being temporarily
out of school and disrupting the normal flow of the academic calendar. More disgustingly,
on February 2014, all the four institutions were again closed down as the
academic staff resumed the adjoined strike.
In
Osun sate, students are tired of the annual strike they are now accustomed to
because governor Aregbesola has failed to meet lecturer’s demands to a
satisfactory extent for over four years. Some of the demands which include:
elongation of retirement age from 60 to 65 years, full implementation of the
federal government consolidated polytechnics and colleges of education academic
salary structure, the non-remittance of contributed pensions and address the
issue of understaffing in the higher institutions.
However, governor Aregbesola’s courageous
steps in revitalizing the educational system in the state with transformation reform
policies being enacted in the elementary and middle and high schools. But the
governor should extend these gigantic streaks to the higher institutions. Many
are the deficiencies of these schools in term of infrastructural decay,
understaffing, poor road networks, hostel accommodation and eventually find a
lasting solution to incessant demoralising industrial action. Aside reduction
in school fees and increment in bursary allocation for finalist students alone,
the governor, has not really extended his reforms policies to higher
institutions.
Finally,
with gubernatorial election fast approaching, the governor should remember his
hopes lie in the hands of the electorates, students and lecturers inclusive.
And like his fellow kinsman, Chief Bisi Akande learnt his lessons and was
denied 2nd term ambitions in 2003; Governor Aregbesola should set
his house in order and reach a logical compromise with the warring
opponents.
Olaomo Gboluwaga John.
Osun State College of
Education, Ilesa.
