The governorship candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Hon Agboola Ajayi has described the planned reduction of school fees of tertiary institutions by the state government as an afterthought.
Ajayi said one of the reasons he fell out with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu was the increase in school fees of the state-owned tertiary institutions without consideration of the earnings of parents.
“The announcement by governor Akeredolu last week that he might consider school fees reduction when students are on holiday due to coronavirus pandemic was an afterthought as he was afraid of losing the October 10 governorship election.
Ajayi Media Adviser Mr Allen Sowore in a statement said ‘the public would recall that one of the major disagreements between Agboola Ajayi and his boss the Governor was on the governor’s insensitive decision to commercialize education and make it unaffordable to ordinary people in a state, where education is about the only industry.
“The Deputy governor had sharply disagreed with the obnoxious policy of an increase in the tuition fees and stoppage of the payment of WASSCE fees for secondary school pupils.
“Agboola Ajayi is, however, surprised that Mr. Governor muted a reduction in the tuition fees without making reference to the efforts of the Deputy Governor overtime on the vexed and contentious issue.
“The good people of Ondo State should be wary of this proposed supposed change of heart as it does not in any way represent a genuine love for the masses.
“It’ is a manipulative Greek gift and decoy solely intended to swindle the people of their votes (that is, their power) in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
” A man who has refused to listen to the agitations of the people on the matter of excessively hiked fees for more than three years; whose wife told protesting university students to ‘go to hell’ cannot be trusted with dire minutes promise let alone implementation at a time when defeat at the polls has become his constant nightmare.”
He urged the people of the state to be steadfast and resolute in the efforts to bring about a people’s friendly government which is underway through a coalition of the people themselves.
According to him ” Akeredolu’s proposed gift should be rejected for what it truly is, it is Greek and unnecessary now after many students had dropped out of school over hiked tuition fees.”