The Honourable Commissioner for Information and orientation , Mr. Yemi Olowolabi has drawn the attention of the public to the fact that the position taken by the over 200 stakeholders at the just concluded Education summit is yet to be tabled before the State Executive Council and therefore, it has not become the position of the Ondo State Government, adding that criticism of the communique is hasty and too judgemental .
Olowolabi in a press release made available to thepolity.com took a swipe at the barrage of criticism that had dogged the communique, asking the critics of the painstaking and well thought out communique not to be unnecessarily emotive.While noting that it was necessary that a communique will be issued after such a summit, he maintained that the Commissioner of Education, science and technology will still present issues in the communique for deliberation at the state executive council from where a government stand point will be taken .
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation , however reminded the critics of the communique that the outcome of the summit was a cerebral session involving academics from various ivory towers, Principals of secondary schools, PTA, and education inclined nongovernmental organization.
Below is the statement of the Press release…
STATEMENT
Following the release of the communique from the Education Summit, held between Thursday 26 and Friday 27, October 2017, the Ondo State government wishes to state:
i. That the communique from the summit is as a result of the summary of the views of all the stakeholders in the education sector in the state.
ii. That over 2000 stakeholders, drawn from all walks of life, including teachers, parents, PTA, faith-based organisations, ANCOPPS, VCs, NUT, SUBEB, UNICEF and ASSU among several others, participated in the two-day summit.
iii. That, it is expected that at the end of any summit, there is a communique, but it should be noted that the communique from the summit is not yet the position of government or government policy.
iv. Expectedly, the state Commissioner for Education, whose ministry organised the summit, will ultimately present the Communique to State Executive Council (SEC), where every point in it will be thoroughly discussed and debated before government takes a position.
v. Therefore, the flurry of criticism and commendations that have greeted the release of the communique are hasty and premature.
Government wishes to state that it has not abolished free education in Ondo State and asks the people to remain calm until the State Executive Council appraises all the points raised in the communique.
Yemi Olowolabi
Commissioner for Information and Orientation
