.Warns council chairmen against security breaches
Oyo State Government, yesterday, ordered the reopening of 23 schools in Atiba and Afijio in Oyo East and Oyo West local councils of the state that were closed over the boundary crisis.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Western Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan, to fashion out ways of resolving the age-long land dispute, the state’s Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, waded into the boundary crisis that culminated into a 10-year closure of the schools in the councils.
Lawal, who doubles as Chairman of the State Boundary Committee, charged chairmen of the two councils to ensure security and peace in their domains.
He warned that if there are breaches of security, the chairmen would be held responsible.
The deputy governor equally said that the Ministry of Education would oversee the schools after their reopening, adding that the ministry will do whatever is required to put the children back to school.
He also enjoined members of Oyo State House of Assembly, representing the affected constituencies, to work with community leaders to ensure that children go back to schools.
Lawal appreciated the President of Oyo Global Forum, a non-partisan group of professionals from the four councils that constitute the Oyo Federal Constituency, noting that their interests in the progress of the affected schools are commendable.
The deputy governor, while assuring the stakeholders that the office of the Surveyor-General would wade into the boundary dispute among the communities, appealed to the community leaders to adhere to the state government’s verdict on the schools.
He said: “I appeal to you, our elders and chairmen of the affected local councils to consider the future of these children. The primary reason this meeting is held is for the schools that were closed for 10 years to reopen immediately. That is the message from the governor himself.
“We have engaged all the stakeholders, community leaders, lawmakers, chairmen of the various local councils, and we have agreed that the schools must reopen in the interest of those children.”
