SITUATION OF EDUCATION IN IWOLAND

SITUATION OF EDUCATION IN IWOLAND AND WAY FORWARD

The present situation of education in Iwoland has called for all concerns stakeholders that are passionate about the future of Iwoland to come together and fashion a way to ameliorates the disheartening conduction of education. The recent WAEC result that was released by the council confirmed the geometric decay in this important sector of our community.

Less than 20% of students that sat for May/June 2015 WAEC made five credits including Mathematics and English. A popular school in Iwo Metropolis (Name withheld) where 213 students sat for the examination, only 43 made credit in Mathematics. This has become the trend in the last couple of years and proper attention is needed to salvage this unfortunate scenario if truly the development of our community Iwoland is at heart.

A lot of factors have been identified as the reason behind this decadence. It is obvious the problem is a hydra-head one. It is tripartite in the sense that Parents, Teachers and the government are all responsible for the dwindling condition of education.

Iwoland Development Coalition, as a stakeholder has swift into action in her quest to find a lasting solution or rather reduce the problem facing education to the minimum. A lot of problems have been identified and also the possible measure to be taken. During the last meeting of the coalition it was agreed that principals of Iwoland Origin should be deployed to all schools in Iwoland.

The rationale behind the bringing of Principals of Iwoland Origin is that it will not only create a sense of belonging and participation but also ensure accountability on the part of the principals. Principals that are experienced, exposed, disciplined and as well willing, who are from Iwoland should be lobbied and deployed to our various schools.

Oluponna and few other communities have bought into the idea of deploying indigenes of their land to their schools and it has been working perfectly for the town. There is a difference between a school where teachers work to serve their community and where teachers work to earn their salary. Patriotism on the part of the teacher will make them to work without looking at the inefficiency of either parents or government.  A teacher from a community will never want to bring shame on himself or herself if people should hear that failure rate is very high in her class. Similarly, he will know the pupils/students very well as well as their parents.

Another identified problem which is the lost in the value of education   among the students. Most students do not really understand the value of education. The lackadaisical attitude on the part of the student has contributed a lot to the degenerating condition of education. These students need a continuous sensitization, orientation and re-orientation. Moral decadence is at peak in our school. Seminars and symposia where the theme will be to sensitize and instill the value of education into the mindset of students. There is need to revisit the school tour programme the coalition did few months ago. This will center around talks on academics excellence, leadership, entrepreneurs and community development. This will also help in opening the mindset of students to the beauty of education.

As compiled by

Yusuff Mutalub Olatunji  

Contributor: Members of Iwoland Development Coalition group and Iwo Federal Constituency on whatsapp .

Education decadence in Osun state.

Today is world Teachers day and i will like to talk on education where I want to say unequivocally that Aregbe got everything wrong.

From building of new structures to the Opon Imo project to school merging and what have you.

I have toured virtually most schools in at least Iwoland and I can say it categorically that what our schools need is renovation and not new class rooms. In fact there are excess classrooms in some schools visited and I want to believe the same thing is applicable in most local governments in the state. Aregbe wasted billions of naira in erecting new structures instead of renovating the existing ones with little millions of naira. That's misplaced of priority if I may say. I expected Aregbe to do what Ameachi did in River state, Green Revolution. Schools were renovated, painted all in green colour, adequate chairs were provided and every school have a playing ground. Little money would have been spent on this and better result would be achieved. Average students in Osun still go to school with chair and table, else they sit on the floor. We need more chairs and tables, conducive learning environment and the likes.

School merging is one of the greatest mistake Aregbe made. Awolowo' vision was to have a school within 500m radius. Now students needs to walk as far as 3km to the nearest school in the name of school merger. Some students now need to walk as long as a journey between Igege and Ilemowu when going to school. This policy alone got a lot of students out of school. The merger is meaningless to me and has contributed to the present condition of our eduction.

Opon Imo is a scam and it's obvious to the blind. Such innovation can't work in our environment, at least for now. And it has never worked since it's introduction. It has simply made our teachers more lazy. Students are referred to the tablets by their teachers and these are tablets that do not get to students until few weeks to WAEC. Mind you only SS3 students have access to the Opon Imo. What's the faith of other thousands of students in both secondary and primary schools in the state. Half of Opon Imo budget can buy textbooks for all pupils and students in Osun state.

Incentives to Teachers; how would you get the best out of an hungry man?! While other states are rewarding teachers that have done excellently with car gift, Osun is oweing teachers several months of salary. There was a time there are no chalk in Osun schools for teacher to be used to teach students.

Schools in Osun needs more teachers. A teacher takes Physics, Chemistry and biology from SS1 to SS3 in Olupo High school. The same scenario is found in most schools in Osun. Government has done absolutely nothing to ameliorate the problem of inadequate teachers.

Osun schools write internal exam just once in the last one year. Is there any justification for such?! And tell me how our students won't come last in WAEC.

Out of 212 that sat for mathematics in WAEC this year in a school in Iwo, only 41 made credit. You can do the mathematics to get the percentagI will like to talk on education where I want to say unequivocally that Aregbe got everything wrong.

From the new building to the Opon Imo to school merging and what have you.

I have toured virtually most schools in at least Iwoland and I can say it categorically that what our schools need is renovation and not new class room. In fact there are excess classrooms in some schools visited and I want to believe the same thing is applicable in most local government in the state. Aregbe wasted billions of naira in erecting new structures instead of renovating the existing ones with little millions of naira. That's misplace of priority if I may say. I expected Aregbe to do what Amechi did in Portharcourt, Green revolution. Schools were renovated, painted all in green colour, adequate chairs are provided and every school have a playing ground. Little money would have been spent on this and better result would be achieved. Average students in Osun still go to school with chair and table, else they sit on the floor. We need more chair and table, conducive learning environment and the likes.

School merging is one of the greatest mistake Aregbe made. Awolowo' vision was to have a school within 500m radius. Now students needs to walk as far as 3km to the nearest school in the name of merger. Some students now need to walk as long as a journey between Igege and Ilemowu in the name of going to school. This policy alone got a lot of students out of school. The merger is meaningless to me and has contributed to the present condition of our eduction.

Opon Imo is a scam and it's obvious to the blind. Such innovation can't work in our environment for now. And it has never worked since it's introduction. It has simply made our teachers more lazy. Students are refer to the tablets by their teachers and these are tablets that do not get to students until few weeks to WARC. Mind you, only SS3 have access to the Opon Imo. What's the faith of other thousands of students in both secondary and primary school. Half of Opon Imo budget can buys textbooks for all pupils and students in Osun state.

Incentives to Teachers; how would you get the best out of an hungry man?!

Schools in Osun needs more teachers. A teacher takes Physics, Chemistry and biology from SS1 to SS3 in Olupo High school. The same scenario is found in most schools in Osun. Government has dons absolutely nothing to ameliorate the problem if inadequate teacher.

Osun schools write internal exam just once in the last one year. Is there any justification for such?! And tell me how our students won't come last in WAEC.

Out of 212 that sat for mathematics in WAEC this year in a school in Iwo, only 41 made credit. You can do that mathematics to get the percentage of failure. And this has been the scenerio in our state in the last four years despite the claim of Aregbe to have spent billion to improve education standard.

Aregbesola may have good intention but his manner of approach are wrong. He has little understanding of how things work in Osun and that is the main reason we are in this mess.

The education summit that was chaired by Prof Wole Soyinka has brought no meaningful advancement to our education. We have continued to go down the ladder among other States.

What has the reclassification of school brought to the development of our education?! Absolutely nothing


Osun government needs to revisit their education policy and review it. Seriously it's not working.


Aregbe got it wrong in his education policy and we are presently experiencing the worst in the state in our education system.

IWAC SILVER JUBILEE ANNIVERSARY
PROSPECTIVE AWARENESS (9th to 18th October, 2015)
1. OTUNBA JIRE AYINLA
PHILANTROPHIC AWARD

2. MR. ADUNADE AMOO
CULTURAL ICON

3. ENGR. AKANDE OLATUNDE DAUDA
PATRIOTIC SERVICE AWARD

4. ENGR. ADELERE ORIOLOWO
DISTINGUISHED RURAL DEVELOPER AWARD

5. MR. TOAFEEK ADEKUNLE ATINWORE
HUMANITY SERVICE AWARD

6. CHIEF MAKANJU MUSBAU
(AKINROGUN OF IWOLAND)
INDUSTRIAL PACESETTER

7. ALHAJA ABIBAT ASUNKE
BUSINESS WOMEN MOBILIZE


PROFILE OF ENGR. ADELERE ADEYEMI ORIOLOWO
Engr. Adelere Adeyemi was born about 59 years ago into the family of Late Raheem Akanji Oriolowo and Alhaja Samirat Abideni Oriolowo of Oriolowo’s compound, Molete, Iwo.

He attended Baptist Day School, Oke-Odo, Iwo from 1964 to 1970, Baptist High School, Iwo 1971 to 1975, The Polytechnic Ibadan 1976 to 1978 and University of Ife (Now OAU) from 1979 to1984.

He is a career civil servant, a technocrat and practicing farmer. He rose from the position of Pupil Engineer in the old Oyo State Agricultural Development Project, Saki to the position of General Manager in the state of Osun Agricultural Development Corporation and presently to the position of Permanent Secretary in the service of the State of Osun. As a development Project Manager he has pioneered and headed many externally funded development projects. He is the current Project Coordinator for the World Bank/French Development Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP-2) in the state of Osun.
He is a family and community man which made Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, (a friend and classmate of his and the Executive Governor of the State of Osun), to appoint him as the first Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Rural Development and Community Affairs. He is also an international and national man, who has toured all parts of Nigeria and the world. He is an advocate of dignity of labour, integrity, etiquette and personal behavioural management.

He is the current Chancellor of Iwo Silvber Club and member of Dobar Compatibles Oyo.

He is happily married to Dns. Felicai Ayanjoju Oriolowo and they are blessed with children who are professionals in different fields of their careers.

PROFILE OF ENGR. AKANDE DAUDA OLATUNDE
He was born into the family of Alhaji and Alhaja Abdul Azeez Adigun Akande of the Odu Compound in Iwo town, Osun State about fifty years ago.
He started his primary education at Ibadan City Council (I.C.C) Primary School, Apata-Ganga, Ibadan now Ibadan Municipal Government Primary School (I.M.G) after which he proceeded to Prospect High School, Abanla Ibadan for his secondary education to obtain his West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1982.

He then further his education to the Polytechnic Ibadan where he obtained his Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher Diploma Diploma (HND) in Electrical Engineering (Power Option) in 1990 and later proceeded to the Federal University of Technology, Akure for his Post Graduate Diploma in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, ( PGDFF) .

He again obtained Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho.
He is gainfully employed with the then National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) which metamorphosed into Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and after the privatization of the Distribution and Generation sector, he is presently in the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) where he has served for thirty years.
He has attended several courses/trainings both in Nigeria and Overseas in relation to generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

He is happily married with children.



PROFILE OF OTUNBA WAIDI OLAJIRE AYINLA
(FCIA, PDM, FCIPMA, MBA, FCNA, LLBHONS, BL, PHD (Honoris Cosa, FITM)
Otunba Waidi Olajire Ayinla was born on the 27th day of December, 1957 to the family of Late Chief Jakiru Ayinla of Fojugbagi Compound, Isale Oba, Iwo.

He attended Ansar U Deen Primary School, Akinfewa Iwo between 1967 and 1972, L.A Modern School between 1973 and 1975, Baptist College, Iwo between 1975 and 1978.
He later attended Federal Polytechnic, Akure and Ado Ekiti for his Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) between 1980 and 1985. He proceeded to Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso where he was awarded a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Computer Science in 1994, University of Ilorin where he bagged Masters in Business Adminstration (MBA) in 2000 and LLB (Hons) Common Law in 2010. He was awarded Phd (Honoris Cosa) in Public Adminstration by Atlas University, Philadephia, Pennsylvania in 2011. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2012.

He started his career with State Award given to him due to his brilliant performance during the National Youth Service in 1986 and later became the Head of Accounts of the Oyo State Sports Council in the old Oyo State till August 1991 when Osun State was created. He was an Assistant Director (Finance) in the Ministry of Lands and Office of the Accountant General between 1994 and 1997 in Osun State. He was at various times Director (Finance) High Court of Justice, Hospitals Management Board, the State House of Assembly and Office of the Governor. He is presently the Director of Finance Ministry of Education.

Jiire Ayinla is a true son of Iwo who displayed a true love for his town. His effort has enchanted developmental efforts in the town and environs.
He is happily married with children.



PROFILE OF ALHAJI (CHIEF) MUSIBAU OLALERE MAKANJUOLA
(The Akinrogun of Iwo Land)
(MBA; FCA; FCTI; FNIM)
Born in Laapo’s Compound, Gidigbo Quarters of Iwo Local Government, Alhaji Musibau Olalere Makanjuola had his Elementary Primary School at Aipate Baptist Day School and completed same in 1971.

He later attended Local Authority Commercial Modern School, Iwo and crossed over to Ahmadiyya Grammar School (now Anwar Islam Grammar School) in 1973 for his secondary education which he completed in 1977/78.

He taught briefly at the St. Anthony Catholic Modern School and Local Authority Commercial Modern School both in Iwo from 1979 to 1981.

He attended the Polytechnic Ibadan from 1981 to 1983 and 1984 to 1986 from where he obtained Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy respectively.
After completion of compulsory one year NYSC Scheme in Old Benue State, he joined Adebowale Group of Companies until 1991 when he resigned as Group Internal Auditor.

He passed the final stage of examination of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) in May 1991 and was admitted as an Associate (ACA) in 1992.
He was employed by Nigerian Bottling Company in 1991 as an Assistant Audit Manager but moved over after two months to a multinational and world leading food manufacturing company by name Nestle Nigeria Plc as an Internal Auditor. He has worked in various sections of the company both locally and internationally. He is currently the Chief Accountant of Nestle Nigeria Plc. He has attended various courses and training both locally and internationally in some countries like, Ghana, France, Turkey, Uk, UAE and Switzerland to mention but few.
Alhaji Makanjuola also attended Lagos State University between 1999 and 2001 from where he obtained Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with specialization in Marketing Management.

Alhaji Makanjuola is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accoutant of Nigeria (FCA); fellow Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCTI); Fellow Nigeria Institute of Management (FNIM).



PROFILE OF ADUNADE ASIMIYU AMOO
Mr. Adunade Asimiyu Amoo was born in Iwo on the 26th of April. He started his education from Quranic School and later to District Council School, Araromi, Iwo for his primary school education. He later went to St. Charles Grammar School, Osogbo but later joined Iwo Grammar School, Iwo where he wrote and passed his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 1971. He was the school Senior Prefect in 1971. He worked as a school teacher at A.U.D. School Abanikanda, Iwo; a Library Assistant at Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo and later as Clerk Grade ‘C’ at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lagos and Ibadan branches.
He left the Central Bank of Nigeria for the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where he obtained a Bachelor of Art degree in History in 1978.

He attended the Royal institute of Administration, London for a Certificate Course in Public Administration in 1983. He equally attended the University of ESEAHAN in the Islamic Republic of Iran for a Certificate Course in Script Writing. Mr. Amoo attended Obafemi Awolowo University for his Post Graduate course in Public Administration in 1988. He has attended numerous in-service training which earned him the best job Analyst in the South West of Nigeria.

Mr. Adunade Amoo joined the Civil Service of Oyo State as Administration Officer VII in 1980. During his career as civil servant, he was appointed Sole Administrator Ila Ifedayo Disputed Area in 1992 and later as Sole Administrator Ife North Local Government Ipetumodu 1998. Through hard work, resilience and God’s guidance, he rose through administration officer cadre to become a Permanent Secretary in the Civil Service of Osun State in December 2003. He spent a period of eight and half (81/2) years as permanent secretary where he worked in various agencies of Government before retiring from Osun State Civil Service in April 2012.

Mr. Adunade Amoo is a self-made man. A bar attendant a stone blaster, a bus conductor and a house boy local and international to mention just a few of odd and jobs embarked upon by him. Mr. Amoo is a prolific writer. He has authored two books on history and ten literature books in Yoruba language some of which are in Secondary Schools throughout the Yoruba speaking States in Nigeria. My odyssey through the Civil Service” is an addendum to his numerous works.

Mr Adunade Asimiyu Amoo has won numerous awards such as Iwo Action Council Award, University of Ife Outstanding Alumni Award and Nigerian Baptist Convention Award, the Most Punctual Award of the British Council London, Iwo Grammar School Outstanding Student Award among others. He is a fellow of Nigeria Institute of Management, a fellow of the Institute of Management Service, London and a Member, British Institute of Management. He is a Jerusalem Pilgrim and a Justice of Peace of Osun State. Mr. Amoo is a philanthropist and for the past seven years, he has awarded scholarship to students of Iwo, Ayedire and Olaoluwa Local Government who excelled in the West Africa School Certificate Examination. He equally established an endowment for the privileged in the society and for the care of the widows. Mr. Amoo is a lover of sports and has donated numerous trophies and sport equipments to many schools in Osun State. He is a member of Osogbo Sport Club, Delta 85 Club of Iwo, and Iwo Progressive Group. He is the Patron of Iwo Patriotic Club and the secretary to Iwo Historical and Culture Centre for Development. He is a member of Christ Life Baptist Church, Osogbo.

Mr. Amoo is married to Mariam Aduke Amoo and blessed with God-fearing
Children.



PROFILE OF ATINWORE ADEKUNLE TAOFEEK
Mr. Atinwore Adekunle Taofeek was born in Iwo. He attended Aipate Baptist Day Primary School for his primary school education. He later attended Baptist High School Iwo between 1979 and 1986. Later, he proceeded to University of Ibadan from 1992 to 1997 and 1999 to 2000 where he obtained Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Masters in Personnel Psychology (MPP) respectively.
He has worked with University College Hospital (UCH), during his National Youth Service between 1997 and 1998; as Assistant Secretary II in 1998; acting Public Relation officer in 2000; Public Relation Officer between 2002 and 2009; Deputy Secretary (Establishment and Training) between 2009 and 2011 and Head, Department of General Administartion from 2011 till date.

He is married and blessed with children.