Aregbesola defends schools merger programme

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has debunked insinuations in certain quarters that the ongoing education reforms in the state are aimed at obliterating the heritage and changing the identities of the affected schools. Aregbesola said the school re-classification of government hinges on total re-engineering of the state education sector to make it functional so as to be able to produce a total man. The governor said contrary to insinuation in some quarters that the identity, heritage and tradition of some institutions are at risk of being distorted or totally changed, his administration has no plan, either in the immediate or remote period of time, to change any school’s tradition. The governor, who spoke in Osogbo, yesterday, at this year’s World Global Hand Washing Day Celebration, said government would not relent in its effort at providing the best education system for the state. He reiterated that government would retain identity and heritage of the schools regardless of their previous inclination. He said: “Let me state categorically that our administration has no intention whatsoever to change the character, heritage and the identity of any school. “A good example, which is not far to seek, is the recently completed school in Alekuwodo. We have retained the name of the school, Salvation Army Middle School. “I don’t think that anybody, even the founder of the school, would be dissatisfied with what we have done to that school.” Aregbesola averred that the example of Salvation Army Middle School, which name is retained by government, was a testimonial that all the negative campaigns by some individuals amounted to sheer hypocrisy and pure lies calculated to derail the good policy of government. Meantime, Aregbesola, has called on all adherents of Islam to live in peace and exhibit religious tolerance towards people of other faiths. This is contained in a message the governor sent to Muslims across the country on the occasion of this year’s Eid el-Kabir celebration. Aregbesola, in a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said what the nation needed at this critical moment were peace, security and cooperation among the diverse people of the country.