THE THREE COMMAND SCHOOLS FOR EKITI: GOVERNMENT SHOULD AVOID CITING THEM AT WRONG LOCATIONS:
Ekiti People’s Mandate: Our opinion shared by Pastor Akin Adeoye.
We have been trying not to comment on this Command schools issue. As good as it is our government that has allowed primordial sentiments to watered down the excitements that their coming to Ekiti would have generated in people like me. I remember in the days of Western Region Government of my Late uncle, Major General Adeyinka Adebayo of blessed memory, who cited a similar Army NATIONAL school at Aye-Ekiti, he didn’t carry it to Ado-Ekiti or Iyin-Ekiti. Today, the present site of the school is where Aye Comprehensive school is cited, bearing mute memories to the history of the site. The NATIONAL School then was like Command school proposed. We stand to be corrected that the Methodist comprehensive school Aye-Ekiti later shared part of the site of the NATIONAL SCHOOL also.
We have serious issues with the locations which I believed the government influenced. This is another golden chance – to spice up activities in some of our dormant rural communities – gone to waste. Taking these new projects to already developed towns is an ill wind and a clear absence of intelligence deficit of sharing prosperity with the Rural Areas to have arriving at that decision.
Whoever took that decision to have taking these colleges (which have potentials to transform their locations tremendously) to already established town wasn’t thinking in the direction of the hallmarks of Rural integrated development. For God sake, Why IKERE? Why IJERO?
We won’t fault ISAN-EKITI for whatever reason – afterall Ka ba m’oko fun were NKO?(no pun intended). Ikere and Ijero are cosmopolitan towns in the context of Ekiti. They already got retinue of institutions and if we remember very well some special secondary schools just created are being sited in some of these communities. Their local economies are already benefitting and getting prosperous by way of reflected glories of these institutions.
What special interests is the government protecting if not mere temporary political numbers in influencing the siting of the schools in these already fairly developed towns?
To me this is a very selfish and unmindful decision. There are far too many towns and villages crying for government presence in our dear state. It would not only assuage their hitherto perceived government neglects but would have opened up many for prosperity.
Again, we missed the point if their purposed attempt is allowed to be carried out. By this singular act, the government has failed to open up our rural areas.
We are convinced about Fayemi government as a humble and listening government to reconsider and site the schools not in the Local government Headquarters.
God bless our Governor, God bless Ekiti-State and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Orile Ekiti a gbe gbogbo wa o.
