[OPINION] – Ogun State: A Tale Of Failed Promises
‘By
the grace of God, when ACN is sworn-in, we would provide FREE education
for all primary and secondary students and there would also be FREE
medical care for pregnant women and children’- Sen. Ibikunle Amosun (2011)
For
those privileged enough to witness firsthand the glorious
administration of Chief Obafemi Awolowo as the Premier of the then
Western Region, the memories of pure leadership and true dedication to
service by the late sage is indeed impossible to wipe off. Amongst his
numerous landmarks, two stands out as historical and unforgettable.
While other Regional Premiers were busy placing citizens in the army and
public corporations to secure and protect the relevance of their
Region, Awo was looking far beyond the moment. He understands the
importance of human capital development and ventured into a free
education and health care policy that reshaped the status of the western
region.
So
you could imagine the excitement on March 2011, in the city of
Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State when the governorship aspirant of the defunct
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) declared among other things his resolve
to make free education and free health
service part of his seven-point-agenda. Not that this is a unique
promise bearing in mind the decades of abuse and bastardization of the
term ‘free’ by all manner of politicians and political jobbers,
but this time around the man in the picture sounded genuine and
truthful. He wasn’t promising a total free health care but one that
concerns expectant mothers and children. He was careful to list primary
and secondary school students as the only eligible class for the free
education policy. This was fair enough and very realistic or so we
thought.
Years
after that declaration in Ijebu ode, the health and education sector in
Ogun state is in comatose. The people have come to realize that the
promise made on that day was
nothing but mere charade conceived only to deceive and manipulate the
judgment of the electorates while casting their vote. The less
privileged citizens who proceeded to the state medical centers in search
of free health services were turned back to their dismay. Stories
of primary and secondary schools declared to be free for all and sundry
are better told by students who attend the state schools and parents
who directly feel the burden. Even though tuition fees have been
eradicated, the state government through the back door strategically
formulated a new policy which requires students to pay for learning
equipment such as chairs, tables and Parent Teachers Association (PTA)
levies. A cummulative of these payments supersedes the initial tuition
fees being paid by the students.
Away
from the failed promises one would have expected the state government
to ensure adequate and appropriate facilities are available in each of
the sectors. The importance of modern equipment in health centres and
schools cannot be over emphasised. But it seems the state government is
more concerned about urban renewal other than the lives and wellbeing of
the citizens.
Few
weeks ago the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Ogun state chapter
having been pushed to the limits cried out to the world on the putrefied
state of the state owned hospitals and health centres and the non
payment of 30-month salaries to doctors. Listening to the association
President, my initial judgement was that he was a paid antagonist
positioned to sore the integrity of the state government. But curiousity
got the better part of me and so I decided to see things for myself.
Going round the major health centres within the state I must confess
that I am deeply ashamed to call Ogun my State of Origin.
Permit me to share few of the pictures I took while going round the state owned hospitals and health centres.
(Labour room of the State General Hospital, Iperu)
(Hospital toilet of the State General Hospital, Iperu)
(Labour room of the State General Hospital, Ijebu Ode)
(Toilet of the State General Hospital, Ijebu Ode)
(One of the Hospital wards in the State General Hospital, Abeokuta)
(One of the Hospital wards in the State General Hospital, Ota)
If
the state of the health centers is alarming then wait till you see the
schools. The deplorable condition in which students and pupils are
conditioned to receive lectures is unimaginable. Some of the schools are
roofless while a vast majority of students are being made to sit on
bare floors during lectures.
Recently
the state government rolled out free textbooks and note books to
students. The event was widely reported in major new and traditional
media. This is a laudable venture only that the exercise came with a
clause. The receiving students were mandated not to take the text books
home as these were the properties of the state government; the books
were only available for use during school hours while students are
required to ensure names are not also written on the books. One is then
left to ask, how does these students work on assignments and further
readings?
It
is important to appreciate the efforts of the state government on
construction of roads and bridges but other key sectors of the state
which include but not limited to health and education should be given
priority too. If the state government can award road contract for
whopping One Billion Naira per kilometre and even go further to access
loans of over Two Hundred Billion Naira for bridges and expansion then
nothing stops it from working excessively on the germane areas such as
health and education.
Health
they say is wealth, in spite of the road networks and beautiful
bridges, if the common man who cannot afford the luxury of private
health and educational institutions is made to fall victim of half baked
education and environmental disease such as cholera then of what good
will these infrastructures be?
The
government must take cognisance of the fact that power is a thing held
in trust, the people believed in the vision he publicised while seeking
for election and so voted for him. If he decides not to live up to his
promise then it is nothing short of fraud. Projects that impact directly
on the lives of the people should be given priority above those that
are seemingly fanciful.
Adekoya
Boladale, a political scientist is the Convener, Advocacy for Better
Leadership (ABEL) an alumnus of Tai Solarin University of Education
(TASUED) wrote via adekoyaboladale@gmail.com. Please engage on twitter @adekoyabee
By Adekoya Boladale
‘By
the grace of God, when ACN is sworn-in, we would provide FREE education
for all primary and secondary students and there would also be FREE
medical care for pregnant women and children’- Sen. Ibikunle Amosun (2011)
For
those privileged enough to witness firsthand the glorious
administration of Chief Obafemi Awolowo as the Premier of the then
Western Region, the memories of pure leadership and true dedication to
service by the late sage is indeed impossible to wipe off. Amongst his
numerous landmarks, two stands out as historical and unforgettable.
While other Regional Premiers were busy placing citizens in the army and
public corporations to secure and protect the relevance of their
Region, Awo was looking far beyond the moment. He understands the
importance of human capital development and ventured into a free
education and health care policy that reshaped the status of the western
region.
So
you could imagine the excitement on March 2011, in the city of
Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State when the governorship aspirant of the defunct
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) declared among other things his resolve
to make free education and free health
service part of his seven-point-agenda. Not that this is a unique
promise bearing in mind the decades of abuse and bastardization of the
term ‘free’ by all manner of politicians and political jobbers,
but this time around the man in the picture sounded genuine and
truthful. He wasn’t promising a total free health care but one that
concerns expectant mothers and children. He was careful to list primary
and secondary school students as the only eligible class for the free
education policy. This was fair enough and very realistic or so we
thought.
Years
after that declaration in Ijebu ode, the health and education sector in
Ogun state is in comatose. The people have come to realize that the
promise made on that day was
nothing but mere charade conceived only to deceive and manipulate the
judgment of the electorates while casting their vote. The less
privileged citizens who proceeded to the state medical centers in search
of free health services were turned back to their dismay. Stories
of primary and secondary schools declared to be free for all and sundry
are better told by students who attend the state schools and parents
who directly feel the burden. Even though tuition fees have been
eradicated, the state government through the back door strategically
formulated a new policy which requires students to pay for learning
equipment such as chairs, tables and Parent Teachers Association (PTA)
levies. A cummulative of these payments supersedes the initial tuition
fees being paid by the students.
Away
from the failed promises one would have expected the state government
to ensure adequate and appropriate facilities are available in each of
the sectors. The importance of modern equipment in health centres and
schools cannot be over emphasised. But it seems the state government is
more concerned about urban renewal other than the lives and wellbeing of
the citizens.
Few
weeks ago the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Ogun state chapter
having been pushed to the limits cried out to the world on the putrefied
state of the state owned hospitals and health centres and the non
payment of 30-month salaries to doctors. Listening to the association
President, my initial judgement was that he was a paid antagonist
positioned to sore the integrity of the state government. But curiousity
got the better part of me and so I decided to see things for myself.
Going round the major health centres within the state I must confess
that I am deeply ashamed to call Ogun my State of Origin.
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