... Says I don’t wish anyone to face the problem as I did years ago
From Toluwa Agboluaje , Ibadan
A former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja has said education must be made free and accessible to all, saying he dropped out of Secondary School because he could not afford the fees.
Ladoja stated at the weekend during an event organized by Reading Awareness Society For Development in Africa(RASDA) and public presentation of book series titled: “History and Leadership Education For Primary and Secondary Schools in Nigeria”, authored by his wife, Mrs. Bukola to mark his 75th birthday.
Ladoja maintained that education is fundamental to attaining greatness, hence he made efforts to make education accessible and free for all during his administration as Governor.
Senator Ladoja said: “I love education. When we were young, our intention was to be engineers, accountant and other professionals. I knew the only route to that is education. We became a sticker to education. I was a beneficiary of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s free primary education policy. It was only primary schooling that was easy for me. I had to drop out of secondary for a year because it was difficult to pay for my secondary school education. I was supposed to finish in 1962 but because I dropped out for a year I finished in 1963. No matter how brilliant you are, you need education.
“Our action in gostickerstvernment was geared towards giving education to our people without tears. What I did in my sojourn in government was as a result of what I suffered which I don’t want anyone to face, if I can help. To the glory of God: We did what we could do before we left office. Everything we did was made possible because we consulted with all the stakeholders. What we did was appreciated and still being appreciated till day.
“In the last administration, our state was coming last in WAEC rating. It is not the difficult thing to change. I can assure you that with what the government is putting in place,the next rating will be better. The government should do everything it can to ensure that salaries are paid on time. You can’t expect teachers to use their money to buy chalks. For education to get back to where it was, teachers must be motivated.
“We were okay during our time. We came second after Kastina State and the late Umaru Yar’adua was the President. If he was not the president, we would have come first.
“Let’s make education what it should be – free and accessible – to everybody. That is what the government is doing. I will do my best to continue working for Oyo State.
“I was once a teacher. I taught in Ibadan Boys’ High School in 1966. It was a rewarding profession. Wherever you would go and see your students, you would be appreciated. You’re next to God”
Governor Seyi Makinde who was represented at the occasion by his Deputy, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan assured the people of the state of his commitment to education.
“We have learnt the rope as far as education is concerned. Some of us are part of his (Ladoja) government. I want to assure the people of Oyo State that they will not get less in this our government, Makinde said, adding, “Education is not about building school alone but involves building human infrastructure”.
