Ondo: Who Owns Oyemekun Grammar School? Akure Community, Anglican Communion, Battle For Take Over

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo state government policy to return some public schools to missions had pitched Anglican Communion with Akure community.

Akure community and Anglican Communion are laying claim to ownership of Oyemekun Grammar School, with each of them insisting on taken over the college.

But, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Olufemi Agagu, has declared that  government would not handover any school to the missions except all stakeholders, including the host community agree and consented to it.

The Commissioner, while addressing the Akure traditional council that protested to his office, on the request by the Anglican Communion to take back some public schools in the state, maintained that there should be synergy among stakeholders before any school will be released.

The Akure traditional council, led by the Asamo of Akure Kingdom,  Chief Olusegun Adedipe was at the office of the Commissioner to seek clarification on the purported move by the Anglican Church to take over Oyemekun Grammar School.

The entourage, which comprised all the major traditional Chiefs in Akure was in the ministry to represent the Deji, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade and other sons and daughters of Akure kingdom both home and abroad.

Chief Adedipe had accused Anglican communion for not carrying along the community in its quest to take back the school, and moreover that Oyemekun Grammar School originally belonged to Akure community and not owned by the Anglican Church.

Responding, Mr. Agagu told the traditional council that any mission that intends to take-over schools must provide evidence of ownership and must show proof of competence, while all stakeholders; the Old Students Association, the Parents/Teachers Association, the Host Community among others must consent to it.

He explained that the quest by government to find a better way of funding education and ensure standard in the system necessitated the decision to hand over schools originally owned by missions to their owners, who must have the interest and competence in running such schools.

“It is glaring that there have not been much significant progress over the decade in terms of infrastructural facilities in our public schools compared to what it was in the 60s.

“Government cannot fold its hands and allow the situation to degenerate further, hence the need to engage all the critical stakeholders in sector”

The Commissioner added that government would not hand-over more than two schools to any mission that fulfills these requirements, while the process of handing-over would be gradual.

“We will not just hand-over the entire school to the mission, they have to begin with admission into JSS1 alone while government would continue to monitor the developlements in such school”

He explained further that the interest of every segment of the society; be it religion, ethnic, language or cultural background is being taken care of in the memorandum of understanding between the state government and the mission.

The Commissioner said the state government was already working on modalities to expand infrastructure in some public schools to accommodate those who might not in one way or the other be able to attend schools that have been taken over by missions

The Akure traditional Chiefs said they were impressed by the address of the Commissioner, as they have been more enlightened on the issue, and promised to take the message back to the palace.