We’ll Implement Panels’ Reports, Says Amosun

Fear  has  gripped  top management staff in Ogunstate-owned tertiary institutions following the alleged indictment of many of them  in the reports that were  recently  submited to the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun.

Governor Amosun has said his government will immediately release the White Papers on the reports of the various fact-finding panels that probed the state owned tertiary institutions.

He also reassured the people of the state that his administration was
fully committed to providing quality education in the state.

He was speaking while receiving the reports of the panels set up to probe Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun and Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu-Ijebu both in Odogbolu Local Government Area of the state.

“In spite of the challenges we met on ground, we know that once we fix
our education the problems are half-solved. We will do everything humanly possible for Ogun State to quickly get back to its glorious era. We will invest in our people and give them quality education,” Amosun promised.

The governor commended the Prof. Lai Erinoso-led Panel to TASUED and Prof. Funso Sonaya-led Panel to TASCE and promised to look into all their recommendations.

According to the governor, “let me reiterate that your reports will not go the way of other reports that gathered dust on the shelf. We are just waiting for other panels to submit their reports. Once we get these reports, we will quickly look into their recommendations and issue White Papers. Through this, we will have demonstrated the seriousness
we attach to these panels.”
Earlier, Prof. Erinoso had informed the governor that TASUED had borrowed N500 million, which would require the intervention of the state government, while Prof. Sonaya explained that his panel found out that there were many problems at the institution which were not insurmountable.

Prof. Sonaya said, “the main problem is the absence of the Governing Council at the institution since 2008. Another issue is the arrears of salaries of more than nine months and 21months of the new salary
structure.

“We also found out the issue of insufficient finance. Even with the
Internally Generated Revenue of the institution, it has not been able
to pay salaries of its workers. We suggest government should consider
giving subvention to the institution,” Sonaya suggested.

Meanwhile, our correspondent reliably gathered that a huge fraud was discovered at a polytechnic as an entrance gate was said to have cost N48 million, while one  cottage guest house was renovated  at a cost  of  N50 million.

Also, P.M.NEWS gathered that the panel to one of the universities in the
state was dismayed when it discovered that the Chairman of the Governing Council of the institution is an NCE holder but got the position because of his closeness to a former governor of the state.

The chairman of one of the panels was said to have vowed to indict  the  top  officers in the report as the fraud allegedly perpetrated was mind-boggling.

Also, it was learnt that most of the top management staff might soon be
sacked, following their alleged  involvement in the fraud.
 
 A member of the panel who confided in our correspondent disclosed that, “some of the top officers would have been in jail, if the panel were to be judicial one, following the shocking discovery. These people are criminals and they are not supposed to be walking freely in town. They also need to be prosecuted, they have ruined the future of this state, because our educational system has been traded away by these
nonentities.

By Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta