Aregbesola Has No Hidden Agenda

Chief Michael Ponle, chairman, MicCom Cables and Wires Limited and MicCom Golf Resort, Ada, Osun State, speaks with GBENRO ADESINA, FUNSHO BALOGUN and FOLA ADEMOSU about the education reforms in the state

What is your assessment of the new education policy in the State of Osun?

I don’t believe that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has a hidden agenda as far as his education policy is concerned. I also hold the view that he is a gentleman. First, he doesn’t believe in pitching one religion against the other or giving one priority over the other. He is not a radical Muslim but a born-again Muslim just as his deputy, who is a born-again Christian. It is a misconception that Aregbesola wants to make Islam to supersede Christianity. That is not true. The religious fanatics on both sides may take an illiterate view of what is happening in education as a religious matter but it is far from that. Education might not have anything to do with what you believe. These days, I have seen children of a bishop becoming Muslims. I have seen the children of a fanatical Muslim becoming Christians. Also, I have seen Muslims converting to Christianity and Christians converting to Islam.

When the Baptists held their conventions, Aregbesola attended it three times. In fact, they were so impressed that they gave him a Christian name, Zacheus. When the problem started, I called one of the church’s spokespersons and said, “Look, this is the same man that came to your convention five months ago and gave you N25m and ceded the whole of that land to you. In fact, he signed the C of O for you. Can that be the same man that will now say that he wants to turn your school to Muslim school?”

He couldn’t answer me other than saying the governor wanted to do it by style. Which style? We are all here, we are not going anywhere. Unfortunately, what pains the deputy governor is that they have forgotten that she is a born-again Christian. So, will it be the same government that will bastardise Christianity? I don’t think so. To some extent, the problem may be political, I don’t know, I am not in politics. But this policy is long overdue. We have to match the trend all over the world. That is what is happening now. Anywhere in the world, when changes come, some people are unhappy, some people are happy. So, there must be problems associated with changes whether the changes are good ones or not. But this one is a good change and good omen that things are beginning to get better and it will continue to get better.

Can you justify why the policy is good and long overdue?

I give you one reason, particularly the mixed schools. I think the idea of school being single-sex is outdated because elsewhere in the world, you don’t have single schools. And for a long time, some administrations have attempted what this government is doing but for the fear of the negative reactions from the people, the past administrations couldn’t implement it. But somebody must come and effect this change. That is why I praise the current administration in Osun for doing what it is doing. They are dedicated. They want the State of Osun to be on the same line with the rest of the countries in the world.

The change will be good for education. The only problem they may have is that these new schools are yet to be completed. By the time 30 of these schools are completed and put to use, people will be begging for this change. This change is necessary; it will change the orientation of our education. It will make education easy. But let the grey areas like distance be addressed at the roundtable. You can’t confront government. Giving government ultimatum is wrong because if it expires, what will you do? Their ultimatum has come and expired, they didn’t do anything. Thank God for that.

One of the areas of dispute is that government didn’t carry the people along. What is your view on this?

I am not sure they were not consulted because the reverend I mentioned earlier told me about many meetings they had with the Governor and Deputy Governor. I don’t know what they were discussing if not the merger. I believe that they were well contacted and consulted on the matter.

Do you think that the Baptist have a locus standi to do what they are doing, considering the fact that since 1975, government has taken over control of the schools and financing them 100 per cent?

The Catholic and the Baptist have been passionate about their religion. The whites that brought the religion built those schools but it is the government that has been managing and financing them. I think government took over the schools by mere pronouncement not by actual take-over because what the government did then was to take over the salary. Because as at that time, some of the churches were defaulting in the payment of salary, which is one of the reasons government took over the schools. When you gather 10 people, nine are good, but the only bad one among them can destroy whatever you want to do. That is why I urge the government not to relent on the consultation until the issue is amicably resolved. They have to do it for the sake of peace. In my factory, if I want to sack my staff, I don’t have to beg them, I only need to inform them, but that is not the case with the government because government belongs to the people.