Now that election marketing campaign guarantees, shenanigans and peccadillos are over, it’s a time to interact the Governor and Governor-elect of Ondo State on managing distractions from the so-called godfathers who would usually search jobs for his or her individuals who ‘helped’ to safe victory the opposite day.
In all modesty, I do know our nation sufficient to understand how the greed of the elite has crippled probably the most populous black nation on earth, Nigeria. This might not be a time to speak about how the greed of the elite has additionally crippled the nationwide electrical energy grid that’s presupposed to set off industrial growth. However it’s a time to get our leaders in any respect ranges to notice that sufficient is sufficient of frivolities and mediocrity they have fun on reside tv for self-glorification each day. And so let me attraction to the newly employed Governor of Ondo State to not enable members of his ‘kitchen cupboard’ to impute motives for resolution articles right now.
The explanation for this seemingly pointless attraction shouldn’t be far-fetched: a number of the media aides of political leaders have all the time had a number of drafts of methods to lambast commentators who even advise their principals on methods to set off legacy initiatives, not to mention those that level out what they aren’t doing effectively. A number of the aides we now have watched over time in any respect ranges have all the time concocted conspiracy theories about why sure writers, and even tv anchors must be ignored by their principals. They don’t examine the messages; they go for the jugular of the messengers for his or her “unhealthy verses”. Most instances, the perverted public relations officers preserve evil recordsdata of even the issues they trigger and search methods of benefitting from crises by discrediting anchors and commentators. Political leaders ought to pay attention to these disaster retailers and mediocrities of their public relations area.
And so, the Governor-elect of Ondo state ought to take note of some inconvenient truths and deliverables right here in order that he could make some distinction in Ondo state right now. He ought to think about the message for the general public good of the individuals who have additionally simply employed him for the following 4 years. These items is just a truth file that may help the Governor in strategic planning for revival of establishments of governance of Ondo state that has suffered some reverses as a consequence of slipshod governance the state has been experiencing for some years. Mr. Governor, this isn’t an appraisal of your tenure because you took over out of your principal who was known as house on 27 December, 2023.
This new mandate must be a distinction maker of some type with out noise making. And so it ought to start with strategic pondering and planning that may remarkably have an effect on the well being of the state. And right here is the factor, let the brand new mandate reinforce your significance moderately than your prominence. How do I imply that? A cleric and an iconic author I’ve quoted a number of instances right here, Rick Warren argues in his basic, ‘The Goal Pushed Life’ that there are some folks on this life who’re outstanding however they might not be important. He says on the similar time, there are some important individuals who might not be outstanding, in any case. He reinforces this level by pointing to the truth that God, the Almighty is looking for important, not outstanding folks to form His Kingdom on earth – for the general public items sport that leaders play. Far and wide, you see most of our even under-achieving leaders spending some huge cash to advertise their prominence on the entrance pages of our information journals and prime time tv programmes with none important initiatives that may improve humanity. You see self-importance upon self-importance as most leaders have fun on reside tv, constructing of overhead bridges and provision of classroom desks and tables for lecturers in dilapidated primary faculties to showcase their prominence.
Mr. Governor, election is over: it’s a time to freeze politics and vengeance. It’s a time for severe governance. It’s a time to headhunt competent professionals and students who perceive the technicality of rebuilding the damaged partitions throughout Ondo state. It’s a time so that you can be a Nehemiah who won’t care a hoot concerning the distractions of the discouragers –Tobiah and Sambalat who don’t like common-good initiatives. It’s a time to shun partisan politics and go to some states on this similar nation the place some progress has been made with out noise within the media. In case you do extra-ordinary issues, citizen journalists within the space will put up them to the general public area free of charge right now. Behold, go to states resembling Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Ebonyi, Borno, and Enugu the place you’ll discover some exemplary spectacles. Don’t take into consideration celebration affiliations right now.
It could not have been outstanding within the media, however if you get to Akwa Ibom state that has used the mannequin of public, non-public partnership (PPP) to run a flourishing airline, you will note the facility of how state governments can also reform and run enterprise as they do in Asia and most elements of the Center East. I imply on the time our Federal Authorities, which completely oversees the Aviation business and ministry might solely unveil the faux airline (Nigeria Air) they promised for eight years on their final day in workplace, Could 29, 2023, Akwa Ibom state floated Ibom Air inside a four-year tenure of a governor. The Ibom Air remains to be working fruitfully until the current whereas the Federal Authorities’s faux airline has develop into a butt of jokes on doubtful public sector enterprises. The state-supported Ibom Air is among the most well-liked native airways in Nigeria regardless of the inclement enterprise local weather within the aviation business in the present day. Go to Akwa Ibom the place you will note on-going development of a 10-lane street to the airport they’d constructed earlier than they established the airline.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, go quietly to aforementioned states and see the distinction between significance and prominence that outline legacy and infamy, growth and underdevelopment. Go to Oyo and see what the State Governor, Seyi Makinde has accomplished about revival of Unbiased Energy Challenge the regional authorities of Obafemi Awolowo left, however all former Governors deserted inside Ibadan.
Time to prioritise schooling:
Mr. Governor, don’t get it twisted, it’s good to prioritise schooling high quality in Ondo State. The state of public faculties in any respect ranges is sort of unconscionable and that has resulted within the state’s poor outcomes from nationwide examinations our bodies. A part of this tragic scenario in primary and secondary faculties was captured the opposite day by Otunba Sola Olatunji who wrote a bit on this debacle earlier than the election campaigns. It isn’t past redemption. Mr. Governor, reviving schooling services in Ondo State requires a multi-faceted method. Right here’s a complete plan on your group to contemplate:
Infrastructure growth
Conduct an intensive evaluation of all schooling services within the state to establish areas of want. Develop a phased plan to renovate and reconstruct faculties, specializing in probably the most crucial ones first. Put money into trendy instructional infrastructure, together with sensible lecture rooms, libraries, and laboratories because the Enugu state authorities is doing with schooling administration consultants within the state. Moreover, make sure that all faculties have entry to primary facilities like electrical energy, water, and sanitation services.
Trainer coaching and growth
Present common coaching and capacity-building programmes for lecturers to boost their expertise and information. Many of the lecturers have been drafted to the lecture rooms from even the Native Authorities Council Service Fee, and many others way back. There’s a must collaborate with respected establishments to supply certification programmes in trendy instructing methods for lecturers.Moreover, the state’s schooling authorities must encourage lecturers to pursue greater schooling and supply incentives for individuals who do.
That’s one other manner of fostering a tradition of steady studying {and professional} growth amongst lecturers. You possibly can recruit first-class graduates as lecturers and practice those who didn’t have instructing certificates. To retrain them, pay them as consultants and specialists.
Curriculum assessment and growth
That is twenty first century the place revolutionary applied sciences drive growth. It ought to start with schooling curriculum assessment. The state ought to conduct a complete assessment of the present curriculum to make sure it’s related and is aligned with trendy instructional requirements.You don’t want to attend for Abuja to develop a brand new curriculum that includes STEM schooling, vocational coaching, and life expertise. Make sure that the curriculum is inclusive and caters to the wants of scholars with disabilities.
The state ought to sing a brand new tune in schooling funding mechanism by offering sources and assist for lecturers to successfully implement the brand new curriculum.
Expertise Integration
For the event targets to be sustainable in schooling, there must be funding in digital infrastructure, together with computer systems, tablets, and web connectivity, to facilitate e-learning. That’s the solely manner we will face tomorrow as residents, lest we develop into a part of the large inhabitants of the illiterate of the twenty first century who can’t be taught, unlearn and relearn as Alvin Toffler warns.In the primary, the faculties must be funded to develop on-line platforms and sources to assist instructing and studying. There also needs to be provision for coaching for lecturers to successfully combine expertise into their instructing practices. The Training system ought to encourage the usage of instructional software program and apps to boost pupil studying. That is the place the authorities must be intentional in using pc and information science graduates and pay them effectively to retain them in order that they will combine expertise into studying.Neighborhood engagement and partnerships
There must be skillset of growth consultants within the system to foster partnerships with native communities, companies, and organisations to assist schooling initiatives. In the identical vein, the schooling authorities ought to set up a mentorship programme that pairs college students with professionals and entrepreneurs. There must be constructive engagements to develop a tradition of volunteerism and group service amongst college students and lecturers.
Funding and useful resource mobilisation
To make the specified distinction Mr. Governor ought to allocate a good portion of the state finances to schooling. Politicians don’t wish to do that as a result of they really feel it’s intangible in contrast to over-head bridges and water boreholes. There will also be exploration of different funding sources, resembling public-private partnerships and worldwide grants. The state authorities can set up an schooling endowment fund to assist scholarships, analysis, and infrastructure growth. Trendy governments in ‘glocal’ context encourage philanthropic donations and company social duty initiatives to assist schooling.
Do we’d like three universities in Ondo?
There ought to all the time be wants evaluation to find out whether or not the state can deal with three universities which have clearly been underfunded in Akungba, Okitipupa and Ondo Metropolis, on this regard. I used to be in Akungba by this time final 12 months the place I delivered the Convocation lecture of the oldest college. The premier college I noticed there nonetheless wants sturdy funding for bodily buildings and tools they should reside as much as their billing as an ivory tower. The College of Science and Expertise in Okitipupa and the College of Medical Sciences in Ondo require strategic funding to revive the ‘universe’ that they could have misplaced to under-funding. It’s a time to revisit the feasibility reviews on the three universities earlier than it’s too late. Do we’d like extra or higher universities? Over to you Governor Aiyedatiwa whilst we are saying, congratulations!
