Dele Moses, Ilorin
The Old Boys Association of Government Secondary School (GSS) Ilorin has denies insinuations that the recent mass transfer of teachers in the junior secondary school arm of the school was done with a political motive.
The old boys said the transfer had no political undertone as they explained that it was done to check dwindling academic standard in the school.
The association, in a statement signed by National Secretary, Tunde Olarinoye, said the Kwara State authorities on the education sector affected the transfer after it (the association) requested for it.
The old boys explained that they requested for the transfer after the teachers had allegedly vowed not to cooperate with the new principal transferred to the school to replace the former principal who was said to be allegedly involved in unlawful sales of certain property of the school.
The association faulted the allegation of financial mismanagement that the teachers were said to have raised against the new management of the school and which the teachers were further said to be citing as one of the reasons they were transferred.
It said that the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, had no hand in the transfer and described as untrue the view being promoted that the governor and leadership of the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) witch-hunted the teachers.
The association’s statement reads: “The National Executive of GSS Ilorin Old Boys Association is using this medium to express its disquiet at the grave distortion of facts and analysis laced with malice and innuendos expressed in some quarters in reaction to the recent mass transfer of teachers from our alma matter- GSS Ilorin.
“Of graver concern is the fact that some had taken to the social media and even some traditional media too to opinionate, albeit wrongfully, on the issue without taking enough time to understand the facts behind the transfer. It is sad that GSS Ilorin, the pride of the State educational system could be dragged to such a negative controversy, laced with political sentiments and malice.
“It is not news that the Old Boys of the school have over the years remained the custodian of the premier institution and has done everything for it to retain the brand of excellence and educational height which it has attained for so many years, both in Kwara State and the nation at large.
“It is noteworthy that the school has produced cream de la cream in the society who today are blazing the trail in every human endeavour, both at home and in the diaspora. In a bid to restore the erosion of the goodly values which the school is noted for, the National Association of the school has through various intervention programs and supports complemented the successive managements of the school, like any other notable alma mata.
“It would definitely be inconsistent with the intents of the Old Boys Association for it to fold its arms and allow some teachers or staff with ignoble character to jeopardize the cherished lofty ideals of the school.
“For close watchers of events, there had been some unpleasant incidents, some of which are worthy of being recounted that had left negative implication on the image of the school, which many had strived to build over the years. In 2019 the school was blacklisted by WAEC due to exam malpractices. In 2020 out of about 143 students that sat for WAEC none of them could boast of getting admission into any institution in Nigeria. Also, it was public knowledge that the immediate past Principal of the Junior school was involved in an unlawful sales of valuable government property in the technical department of the school and the case is still before the EFCC. In spite of the recovery efforts of the EFCC, not all items stolen could be recovered.
“As a reaction to the unethical conduct, the Old Boys wrote for the transfer of the principal which was effected by the authorities. Unfortunately, some of the teachers who were loyal to the principal in question started nurturing grudges against the new Principal transferred to the school as a replacement. They went to the point of boasting that they would make the school ungovernable, which they pursued by, among other things, sponsoring a program on SPS radio station in Ilorin. They claimed in the program that they “confronted” the new management in the school as a result of misappropriation of money whereas there is no evidence to prove this.
“Against this backdrop, coupled with the need to prevent the matter from getting out of hand, the Old Boys moved for the transfer of the unruly teachers out of the school to allow for enduring peace and progress. To discerning minds, the move was to salvage the drifting reputation of the school and not motivated by any political intention as some uninformed analysts and hired filth columnists were trying to mislead members of the public to believe.
“We like to emphatically state here that His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kwara state does not have any hand in the transfer, neither did the Chairman State Universal Basic Education Board have any political motive for granting the Old Boys request to transfer the staff. It would definitely be preposterous and unimaginable for anyone to think that His Excellency, and the Chairman of the UBE, in spite of huge responsibilities in their hands, would condescend to the abysmal level of witch-hunting classroom teachers.
“In conclusion, it must be said in an unmistakable term that Honourable Femi Yusuf being maligned in the jaundiced reports, though serving present administration in the State as Chairman of the State Assembly Commission, is an active Old Boy as well as the current National Social Secretary of our Old Boys Association. He has every right to be concerned as other Old Boys about the regression of the school down the precipice, for which urgent salvage measures must be taken. We must all look beyond the veil of malice to unveil the real issues behind the transfer, rather than allowing misdirected persons to railroad us into their bandwagon. May the Almighty continue to preserve our Great Alma Mata.”
