OGUN MODEL SCHOOLS, WASTE OF PUBLIC FUNDS – DANIEL
The twenty six model schools being constructed by Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led administration has come under heavy criticism from his predecessor in office, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, describing it as a waste of public funds.
The former Governor, while speaking during the Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency political summit of the Ogun State Labour Party held in Owode on Sunday said the huge amount being expended on building the model schools could have been channelled to the provision of other more laudable projects which could impact more on the lives of the citizens.
According to Otunba Daniel, the idea of spending N1billion on the construction of each model school is not well thought-out as these could have been used to renovate and bring up to standard no fewer than twenty (20) schools in each local government of the States.
His words: “If we spend the sum of N50 million to renovate one school each we would have renovated at least twenty schools in each of the local governments with the N1billion they are spending to build their model. Schools”
He equally accused the administration of Gov. Ibikunle Amosun in Ogun State of abandoning the rural communities in the State, lamenting that over 70% of the people live in rural areas and it is the duty of the government to take care of all and not just the few elites in the select urban areas.
Daniel accused Amosun-led administration of neglecting the rural communities at the expense of his urban renewal programmes, saying that demolition of houses and business premises is not development.
According to him, there are more people living in the rural communities than the urban centres and they deserve equal government attention.
He promised that the Labour Party, if voted into office by 2015 will re absorb all the workers unjustly sacked by Governor Amosun, saying that the government had not been sincere with the State’s workforce with several failed promises.
According to him, “destroying people’s houses and business premises cannot be the same thing as development. Anywhere he passes, he destroys houses and business. Most of our people in Ogun State live in rural communities, their urban renewal programme which is all about building bridges and roads where they are not needed only bring pains to our people”.
Daniel said further “none of the model schools promised the people of the State is ready. They promised that students will resume into those schools since September, 2012, but two years after, it is still about promises unfulfilled”.
