By Julius Alabi, Akure
Ondo State government has been urged to review downward the tuition fees of all the tertiary institutions in the state to make life bearable for its citizenry.
In a Communique signed at an emergency meeting of the Alliance Democracy Mind (ADM), a conglomerate of 13 viable groups in All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State Chapter by the Coordinator, Wale Dada Eminence, and its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Adelokiki Orimisan, the group said that similar downward review of tuition fees had been done by Oyo State government.
The group also demanded for immediate resumption of payment of a sustainable Scholarships and Bursary for the indigenes of Ondo State in various tertiary institutions, which had been stopped over three years ago.
“It is rather unfortunate that the state government, which has declared a bogus and geometrical growth in IGR for three years, yet no single student has enjoyed government scholarship or bursary throughout these periods.
“Instead, Akeredolu’s administration has continued to increase the tuitions from Adekunle Ajasin University, to the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic and other state tertiary institution.
“Primary and secondary schools were not left behind as parents were corned to pay for ‘collectibles’, while many state with lesser financial buoyancy were rooting for free and compulsory qualitative education,” they lamented.
They said that it would be recalled that the governor’s wife, Arabirin Betty Akeredolu, organised a three-week Summer Class, and participants were compelled to pay.
“We are demanding for urgent cancellation and call for a Democratically Elected Party Aspirant for the proposed Local Government Election in the state while initiation of citizens oriented programs, especially the basic amenities of life should commence immediately,” it said.
The group criticised the governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, for his comments over some elders and leaders of the party (APC) during his 3rd year anniversary dinner, saying, the governor exhibited his long time hidden condensed self, of high level insensitivity, not skewed, unrefined misdemeanor, fall shot of the occupant of the office of the State Governor.
“While we hold the office of the Governor in high esteem, we could not fathom the occupant of such to make various verbal unprintable comments”, the group noted.
“We were shocked to the narrow with the comments of the gvernor who was addressing various members of the party and thousands watching via the airwaves that no one is as priceless as his son, for he works more than any person during election and qualify as a Chief of Staff to the govenor, even better than the present occupant and other unprintable comments” the group added.