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Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has reiterated that the focus of his administration was to rebuild schools in the state and not to refurbish or renovate them.
He stated that the 1,300 schools in the state, which he described as useless, would be reduced to 832 functional ones, with a view to ensuring that the pupils of the schools at the primary and secondary levels compete with any student all over the world.
Aregbesola disclosed this in Offa, Kwara State on Wednesday during a 4-Day Cabinet Retreat for the state Executive Council with theme "Delivering on Osun Development Agenda", saying that apart from the rebuilding of the schools, the students would be provided with learning tools, which, according to him, have never been provided by any government anywhere in the world.
The governor said, "What I am saying is clear. I did not say I am refurbishing or renovating, but I am reconstructing schools. I am rebuilding schools. Yes, we have 1,300 useless schools. Schools that cannot be called schools in a sane society, but we have reduced the number of all the schools to 832 functional ones.
"Also, we have restructured the schools. There will neigbourhood schools in the rural and urban areas, which will be for pupils from ages 6 to 8 (grade 1-3) and accommodate minimum of 900 pupils, elementary schools will be in urban centres not far from the surrounding villages for pupils from ages 10 to 15 (grade 4 to 9) and there will high schools for ages 16 to 18 (grade 10 to 12).
"All the pupils in our neighbourhood and elementary schools will be properly and nutritiously fed on our account and those in high schools would be provided with learning tools that have never been provided by any government in the world. I dare say it. It is a learning tool that is absolutely unique. In that learning tablet, they will have all they need to pass their school certificate examinations. It will be called Tablet of Knowledge and wherever they might be, they will be able to read and learn whatever they want to learn", he stated.
The cost of rebuilding of the schools, according to the governor, will be between N18billion and N20billion, while the cost of feeding of the pupil of neighbourhood and elementary school will be a minimum of N1.5billion annually, saying that whatever it takes, his administration would ensure that it raises the money for the betterment of the people of the state, inspite of the current financial constraint.
Aregbesola further noted that his coming into power as the governor of the state was not by accident, but he came to government with a clear vision of developing the economy of the state and better the lots of people, with a view to making the state the best in the whole of the country.
He also stated that the rail line project of his government was to boost the economy of the state as well as ensuring regional integration among the South West states, including Ondo, saying that this would strengthen unity and tolerance, especially among the Yoruba race.
The governor, who stated that the train of development has started moving round the state, then called on the political officer holders, as well as civil servants to quickly join the train and be part of success stories of his administration.
Explaining the rationale behind the retreat for the Executive Council members as well as high-ranking civil servants in the state, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Gboyega Oyetola said that the present administration was on change mission to ensure rapid development of the state after several years of misrule, clueless governance and neglect, saying that for this to happen, the leadership of government at all levels must be on the same page.
He further stated that the retreat was meant to share a common vision on the strategic direction of Aregbesola's administration and enhance the capacity of the cabinet members and key public servants to think and act strategically around programmes and priorities of government.
According to him, to achieve the desired goals, members of the state Executive Council and leadership of the Millenium Development Agenda (MDAs) must urgently find a common ground around the strategic direction of the administration, and evolve innovative, harmonious and effective methods of working together, devoid of the kind of bureaucracies and fractures that stifles innovation and change.
Oyetola recalled that when the present administration came on board, it met the state with the lowest GDP in Nigeria, as the socio-economic indices of the state were nothing to write home about, while unemployment, hunger and poverty reigned supreme, saying that within a year of reign, the present administration has set on a determined course to write a new chapter for the people of the state.
He then called on the political office holders and civil servants to join the administration of Aregbesola to achieve its Six-point Integral Action Plan to the benefit of the entire citizenry of the state, South-West states and Nigeria as a whole.
Among the resource persons at the 4-day retreat were the former Attorney-General of Lagos State, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN); a retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Dr Goke Adegoroye; Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Ben Akabueze; Mr Jide Sanwo-Olu; Chairman, Osun State Urban Renewal Programme (OSUREP), Professor Tunde Agboola among others.
Other contributors were the first Military Administrator of the state, Major General Segun Ajiborisa (rtd); the former Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Professor Wale Omole; a former leader of NADECO, Chief Ayo Opadokun; former Commissioner for Environment in Lagos State, Dr Muiz Banire and the ACN Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed among others.
Osun Defender