aieromon:

I believe a comprehensive survey must have been done before these decisions were shared to all the critics.How can someone ask where the money will come from?smh

A Comprehensive study, by a Nigerian who was only elected only about 4 weeks ago, as governor of a state that barely generates enough money to pave it's own streets and roads each year, in a country where QUALITY and not QUANTITY remains the biggest issue with our education, both at the primary and secondary levels?

Pray tell, any evidence of such a comprehensive study ever happening? If anything, this "free education" offer is most likely connected to the ECOWAS demand on Nigeria to provide free education at all basic levels, and these Governors are likely jumping on to claim the glory for themselves.

jmaine:


Stop being stvpid and don't give me that outdated Awo line  . . . what year are we in goblin . . . what is the current state of our value system Cow  . . . My NYSC service year in Osun state exposed me to the manner the present crop of students view free gestures especially from the government  . . . Oyinlola free WAEC fees to all SSCE candidates in the state yielded very poor results and my little survey proved that the student enthusiasm to study was very low cos they felt their parent were not responsible for their fees hence they won't be hammered if they performed poorly  . .though there were a minority who took the government gesture serious and as corp members we encouraged them  . . .

The Osun state government noticing this serial descending new low performance . . decided to put in a check that  . .  For any student to qualify for the WASSCE free fees . . it is mandatory for them to pass their Mock exams ( even with a low benchmark) and hell was let loose cos it took them unawares  . . .we all knew what happened next which was not a surprise . . . And please always do away with your egoistic Awo reference . . .  Am a Yoruba man  . .but i don't patronize all those tribal supremacist Awo staunts being brandished on nairaland on a daily basis . . .Now, please kindly excuse me 

I hate entertaining ediots like you, but I am obliged to post a retort since no one has responded to your mo/ro/nic post. So in your own deluded mind, students are doing badly in WAEC because they arent enthusiastic about their education/future due to the fact that the state government is paying for their exam fees? Am I understanding you right?


Well, luckily for you, I went to secondary school is Osun State and I have relatives working at the WAEC office in Osogbo and at the ministry of education. Osun state WAEC result from time has always been appalling, for a myriad reasons, and none of it has anything to do with the state paying for the students' WAEC fees or free education. Even, when the State wasnt paying for those exams, Osun state never did well in WAEC. Osun State in times past always recorded one of the highest level of exam malpractice WRT to JAMB in Nigeria. Even in OAU the percentage of people getting in on merit from Osun State is abysmmal. If there were no catchment area policy by the governemnt, only few OSUN state Indigenes would have the necessary credential to secure admission to that prestigious school.  Think about it, what percentage of Osun State indigenes are on the faculty of OAU and other respectable universities in Nigeria? very little.


My point is that poor WAEC results did not just start with Oyinlola; it has always been part of Osun State's narrative.  It is very simplistic of you and an apt reflection of your poor thinking skills to ascribe the endemic poor showing of Osun state students on national exams to a change in policy brought on my the last government. Education in Nigeria, not just in Osun State alone, from Kindergarten to University level is in tatters. The rot did not just start in the last dispensation, not with Akande, and definitely has nothing to do with the government paying WAEC fees for the students.


WAEC is a certificate exam that assesses students knowledge and understanding of concepts learned over the three years preceding the May/June months of their senior year. Your WAEC result is not just determined by how much you study or did not study in the few months leading to the exam. Your SSCE result is a reflection of everything you've done in secondary school, from the moment you stepped into your JSS 1 class.  One unique feature of the WAEC is it combines school-based continuous assessment scores with the Council's own terminal assessment scores on a ratio of 30:70. . It just doesnt makes sense, going by your logic, to conclude that after working hard for the 30%, "enthusiastically studying for their continuous assessment scores because their parents would hammer them if they performed poorly on them," the students would just suddenly lose enthusiasm for WAEC because ".  .   .their parents were not responsible for their fees." That is, the guy who had always wanted to be a doctor since he first learnt about the plant cell in his integrated science class stopped being enthusiastic about his future because the State government paid for his exam fees. And that young girl who had signaled her interest in Law since she first represented her school at a local debate competition stopped being enthusiastic about becoming the next Gani Fawenhinmi because, according to your gargantuan, unique insight into the human psyche,  her "parent were not responsible for [her] fees hence [she] won't be hammered if [she] performed poorly." After all, at 16/17 yrs, the parents' feelings and disposition alone drive students attitude, not the individuals future, personal pride or innate ability. To you, everything boils down to the parents' response to their children's inquiry regarding whether he/she would be "hammered" if he failed or do poorly on his WAEC exam.


And I submit that this is what the real, no bullshyyt reason for why Osun State students do poorly on national exam: lack of adequate teachers, both quantitatively and qualitatively,the dearth of good, enjoyable, comprehensible and widely available text-books, weak national educational policy, lack of adequate funding, inappropriate testing modality, amongst other reasons.


You get the idea.

That may sound like abstract nonsense, but it shouldn't be. Let's get practical. The plain fact is that most state schools in Osun State, and in Nigeria, are poorly staffed. When I was in Secondary school, teachers went on strike on average at least once a semester, with each strike lasting more than a week. The school with more than 1000 students ( I went to one of the SOSs in Osun State) had just two English teachers that actually graduated with  degrees in English language, the rest, of the teachers that taught English at this school, were Dramatic arts and Yoruba graduates. The same thing in our science classes, only three chemistry teachers for more than 1000 students. And the SOS I attended was supposed to be one of the better schools in the state. There happens to be whole, large despicable parts of the Nigerian educational system that nobody talks about when analyzing student performances in national exams. One such part involves boredom, routine and petty frustration on the part of the teachers stemming from the lackadaisical manner successive Nigerian governments handle pre-Tertiary education. The older folks here on NL will know all too well what I'm hinting about.

Oyinlola free WAEC fees to all SSCE candidates in the state yielded very poor results and my little survey proved that the student enthusiasm to study was very low cos they felt t[b]heir parent were not responsible for their fees[/b] hence they won't be hammered if they performed poorly

So who paid for the tuition?  Are you insinuating that students deliberately chose not to prepare for the biggest exam of the lives because they felt like throwing away all they've worked hard for in secondary school just because the state is paying for their exam fees?  Like being vindictive against the state government for paying their exam fees?


Of course, you cant think  of other reasons  for the poor showing in WAEC because it is extremely difficult for you to stay alert,attentive and entertain other reasons and draw constructive and reasonable conclusions from your personal, narrow experience, instead of getting hypnotised by the constant reeetarded monologue inside your own head.

Chai! Education Palava!! Wòn tì dà gobe sìlè, emi o nì duro o. Am out!

Me thinks free educatio as laudable especially in Ogun state, which is actually what I enjoyed in my primary school and by the time I was in secondary school, Education levy was introduced and it was thirty five thpousand then.  As good as free education programme is, I don't subcribe to it in its entirety especially after  JSS level no more

What I think we should be talking about is improving the quality of the education, which will required lots of fund and No  State Government in this present Nigeria  can succesfully do it without jettisoning some other vital economic development sectors.

Developing the standard of the education (qualitatively) is really what is needed in the State for now and not just to have numbers. More schools with structures befitting for learning should be established to decongest the present ones. In any classrooms, not more than 25 students should be in a class. The present schools should also be upgraded to with different functionasl facilities for real education.

Principals and teachers in Ogun State needs to be encouraged and retrained as a lot of the are now involvedtoo uch in politics and acts of indicipline which are too inimical to the educational development.

There is need for reall competition into schools after JSS this is just to avoid Iru wa Ogiri wa. Some of the students are not really interested in Education thus they only come to waste Governments resources ,whereas they could have done better in vocational schools or schools .  Igive an example, while I was in class 3 going to the class 4, in my school then, we use the same laboratory for physics, chemistry and Biology and this room can only accomodate 24 students . Meaning for you to be allowed to do Physics and  chemistry, you must be amongst the best 26 in the both subjects. Also, you must score at least a 60 in english and mathematics . the last prerequisite is maintained to move to the next class in my school then and I think we used to record some level of success in our WASCE and in even some science competitions in Abeokuta that time and people will wonder is it not that " local school".

Extrapolating that I'll say rather than sponsor evrybody to school, let there be that leverage to the JSS level at the least reading and writting/ comprehension is assured after which in order to have the education up to a very enviable level, some level of modest levy not going beyond 2500 per term for each senior secondary school students should be introduced.  Also some qualifying exams should be introduced for each as a prerequisite for the qualifying for state government subsidy for WASCE.


We need to start introducing real measures to make us realise that though the government need to cater for people's needs but government is not a father christmas ands resources though need to be spread, but it must be to those who will definitely show returns.

I have to study real hard to gain admission into a Federal university where you pay close to nothing compared to what was paid  in State Universities since I know the Financial status of my parents then. So parents and wards who need to enjpoy some laxity from the government should show a level of commitment  to show they are deserving of the gesture.

You wouldnt think Amosun was naive or silly before making that declaration. He is a chartered accountant of long-standing repute, and a great disciplinarian (i should know cos we're related). Years of misrule by past governments have led us to believe it is undoable. IT IS! We do not only need him make education free, but guarantee quality learning. If students are not serious, no one will blame him. Friends who served in the North told me education in most states there is free, yet it doesnt mean the students are serious. But at the very least, it guarantees d right of children to (quality) education. We need to applaud not only this move, but more than that, ensure the numerous campaign promises he made are carried out to d letter. As a relative, it'll be a disgrace for a social critic like me if he fails. My friends will simply kill me with their yabbings.
someone said he wasnt happy with his renaming of d radio & tv stations. Well, there u have it; Your governor is "old-school". Maybe he believes the best morals have been eroded since d 70s. Cue d cloth he word @ his inauguration (an agbada given to his dad by his granddad in 1941 and then to him).
Maybe i'm being prejudiced because we're related, but it is my wish that he performs to d expectation of d indegenes. The people spoke wit in d family and within Abeokuta on sunday seem to believe he will perform.

.

Ooooshe Senator Ibikunle Amosun. God be with You and Your Governmnet

houvest:

Why folks think that free education is not possible to secondary level beats me. My only addition is that it should be free qaulity education not free-anything-goes-education.

Guy, it is all a ruse. Isn't the school fees free of tuition already? Which public primary or secondary school in Ogun State charge tuition?

What usually happens is that when they can't meet up with funding of the schools, the school improvises way of making up for the shortfall and they start charging: DEVELOPMENT LEVY, UTILITY LEVY etc.

Abeg, make we hear word.

mcgboye:

You wouldnt think Amosun was naive or silly before making that declaration. He is a chartered accountant of long-standing repute, and a great disciplinarian (i should know cos we're related). Years of misrule by past governments have led us to believe it is undoable. IT IS! We do not only need him make education free, but guarantee quality learning. If students are not serious, no one will blame him. Friends who served in the North told me education in most states there is free, yet it doesnt mean the students are serious. But at the very least, it guarantees d right of children to (quality) education. We need to applaud not only this move, but more than that, ensure the numerous campaign promises he made are carried out to d letter. As a relative, it'll be a disgrace for a social critic like me if he fails. My friends will simply kill me with their yabbings.
someone said he wasnt happy with his renaming of d radio & tv stations. Well, there u have it; Your governor is "old-school". Maybe he believes the best morals have been eroded since d 70s. Cue d cloth he word @ his inauguration (an agbada given to his dad by his granddad in 1941 and then to him).
Maybe i'm being prejudiced because we're related, but it is my wish that he performs to d expectation of d indegenes. The people spoke wit in d family and within Abeokuta on sunday seem to believe he will perform.

So the reason why we should believe all this nonsense is because you are related to Amosun? Ok, let me tell you, he stays on my street off Isaac John, GRA Ikeja and I have met him on a few ocassions, so you should also believe me. Are we even now??

Since he is your relative, you should be able to answer these questions: What is the name of Amosun's accounting firm?? Who do they audit - I mean their major clients?? How did an accountant doing legitimate work become that rich??

About Free Education: See, that is how Osoba made mouth about free education in Ogun State during his tenor and what should have been paid as tuition were being charged as Development Levy, Security Levy, PTA Fees (PTA had to hire teachers on its own pay-role to assist these schools especially where there were no teachers of core subjects English, Mathematics, Accounting, Chemistry, Physics, Literature in English and so on) etc.

About the cloth, you sound so gullible! All of these guys you see as Governors in the South West belong to one cult or the other and I'm sure Amosun's attire has to do with rituals or "spiritual instructions" dictated by his occultic affiliation. I may not be able to prove this scientifically but if your curiosity is so much as to lead you to investigate, please do and you will be shocked what you'll find out.

i was elated when i read that he will re-introduce inspectors in schools. I remenber when i was i pry school,whenever there was an information that inspectors were coming to our school all those lackadaisical teachers would start to adjust themselves to get serious in order not to get fired,i think it will instill discipline on the part of teachers.

If he can't provide free education,please tell me what you want from him?You don't need to be a governor to ascertain whether your monthly allocation and IGR will power a project.The solutions to our problem are visible for everyone but nobody wants to take the bold step.This is the same way they lambasted Jakande when he scrapped ''night schools'' in Lagos and built schools all over.It was impossible to many but the guy did it and would have provided more housing units if circumstances did not cut it short.
I believe and will support minds that are ready to take the bold step.

@x-factoria, Do i really need to reply u? I think not, but i'll ask a question that usually bugs me anytime I go through a thread on NL: do u really need to insult someone to make ur point? As in, when will u people learn to be polite?
Okay, u also asked if I knew d name of his firm. Haba! Even if I didnt know, i only have to google it. By the way, i also work for a BIG accounting firm (i aint boasting, but u get my point). You're not going to ask me to name my firm's name, are u?
Let me address a bigger issue. I think it's time u guys stopped insultin fellow NLanders in order to make ur point. IMO, it is d genesis of our lawmakers throwing chairs at one another in d house; this is how it starts.

aieromon:

If he can't provide free education,please tell me what you want from him?You don't need to be a governor to ascertain whether your monthly allocation and IGR will power a project.

I think you have been on this forum long enough to understand that for any one person to actually understand how much it reallys costs to run the sort of Government we have, one would need to be an insider as this information has never been open to the general public(well, we hope after the FOI signing, it will). Why make such an ignorant statement?

By the way, the problem with Education is not necessarily in the numbers, but in quantity. As someone already tried to state, it seems Ogun State is one of the states that already offers "free education" i.e no tuition education to students in the public schools from primary to secondary school levels. However, due to poor quality and state of schools, many have felt it more meaningful to withdraw their ward from these schools and instead train them in one skill or another.

Kobojunkie:

I think you have been on this forum long enough to understand that for any one person to actually understand how much it reallys costs to run the sort of Government we have, one would need to be an insider as this information has never been open to the general public(well, we hope after the FOI signing, it will). Why make such an ignorant statement?

You gotta be kidding me
NL can and never will change my opinion especially in this section where you have people throwing elbows miles away from Nigeria

Like i said,critics said Jakande couldn't do it but he built lots of schools in Lagos and his legacy will forever live on.

i can understand free health-care! but instead of free education, why not reduce the current cost of education in public schools by lets say 60%, so the state can still generate money and pay the teachers very well and the masses can afford it? this does not make sense! or am i missing something here?

other nice move

aieromon:

You gotta be kidding me
NL can and never will change my opinion especially in this section where you have people throwing elbows miles away from Nigeria

Like i said,critics said Jakande couldn't do it but he built lots of schools in Lagos and his legacy will forever live on.

This is not about Nairaland but about the opportunity you have here to glean knowledge of the country from the various articles that are on here daily ( from the major papers). Again, NO CIVILIAN in Nigeria KNOWS the ins and outs of GOVERNMENT. Those you elected in april, are starting work today . . . It is almost impossible to even get access to information on how money is spent one way or another, up until FOI(hopefully).

This situation has absolutely nothing to do with your Jakande example there. By the way, Jakande did not do it --- Awolowo is the one who helped introduce free education.

Kobojunkie:

This is not about Nairaland but about the opportunity you have here to glean knowledge of the country from the various articles that are on here daily ( from the major papers). Again, NO CIVILIAN in Nigeria KNOWS the ins and outs of GOVERNMENT. Those you elected in april, are starting work today . . . It is almost impossible to even get access to information on how money is spent one way or another, up until FOI(hopefully).

This situation has absolutely nothing to do with your Jakande example there. By the way, Jakande did not do it --- Awolowo is the one who helped introduce free education.

Really?

Kobo thinks too highly of Nigerian journalists. You've prolly been away for far too long. Its time you go back for a heavy dose of realism.

aieromon:

You gotta be kidding me
NL can and never will change my opinion especially in this section where you have people throwing elbows miles away from Nigeria

Like i said,critics said Jakande couldn't do it but he built lots of schools in Lagos and his legacy will forever live on.

This is not about Nairaland but about the opportunity you have here to glean knowledge of the country from the various articles that are on here daily ( from the major papers). Again, NO CIVILIAN in Nigeria KNOWS the ins and outs of GOVERNMENT. Those you elected in april, are starting work today . . . It is almost impossible to even get access to information on how money is spent one way or another, up until FOI(hopefully).

This situation has absolutely nothing to do with your Jakande example there. By the way, Jakande did not do it --- Awolowo is the one who helped introduce free education.

Kobojunkie:

This is not about Nairaland but about the opportunity you have here to glean knowledge of the country from the various articles that are on here daily ( from the major papers). Again, NO CIVILIAN in Nigeria KNOWS the ins and outs of GOVERNMENT. Those you elected in april, are starting work today . . . It is almost impossible to even get access to information on how money is spent one way or another, up until FOI(hopefully).

This situation has absolutely nothing to do with your Jakande example there. By the way, Jakande did not do it --- Awolowo is the one who helped introduce free education.

Really?

Kobo thinks too highly of Nigerian journalists. You've prolly been away for far too long. Its time you go back for a heavy dose of realism.

@Jason
Where are these Governors (Rochas and Amosun) going to get the money from?? All of them are just shouting "FREE EDUCATION" as if teachers are just going to work without getting paid. SMH @ the lack of planning or better still, deceit!


For Imo State, the government spends about 10% of its income on civil service pay. Imo has one of the highest literacy rates both male and female in the country. If they put in 15%-20% of state income then it can be achieved for its population size. The question now is quality and also what does free entail but overall it is very achievable. Rochas says it includes uniform, food, books and even with that they will meet the costs. So lets wait and see.

kcjazz:

For Imo State, the government spends about 10% of its income on civil service pay. Imo has one of the highest literacy rates both male and female in the country. If they put in 15%-20% of state income then it can be achieved for its population size. The question now is quality and also what does free entail but overall it is very achievable. Rochas says it includes uniform, food, books and even with that they will meet the costs. So lets wait and see.

Where is the 15-20% you claim can be spent on free education currently going? What will need to be 'cut' to achieve this? Last I checked, Imo is not among the states with high GDP in the country.

Kobojunkie:

Where is the 15-20% you claim can be spent on free education currently going? What will need to be 'cut' to achieve this? Last I checked, Imo is not among the states with high GDP in the country.

There is nothing to cut from, rather reducing corruption and eliminating waste will be the key. Of course the state will look to improve its income but an investment of N500 million yearly will achieve this goal. Coming from one in the education sector, I believe Rochas has his numbers and will make it happen. The main issue is even reducing drop out rate numbers in Imo plus this is for Primary/ Secondary only.

I believe most states less than 5 million population in Nigeria can achieve this goal with the right political will.

kcjazz:

There is nothing to cut from, rather reducing corruption and eliminating waste will be the key. Of course the state will look to improve its income but an investment of N500 million yearly will achieve this goal. Coming from one in the education sector, I believe Rochas has his numbers and will make it happen. The main issue is even reducing drop out rate numbers in Imo plus this is for Primary/ Secondary only.

I believe most states less than 5 million population in Nigeria can achieve this goal with the right political will.

To buttress your point all tiers of Nigerian government will function properly even with less than 50% of the current workforce. There are too many staffs sitting down and doing nothing.

Free education Ȋ̝̊̅§ gonna b a waste! Even when we are paying, there Ȋ̝̊̅§ no job available after D̶̲̥̅̊is. Y not provide job for those that paid for education.

@kobojunkie
I never said Jakande introduced free education.He built lots of schools and scrapped night schools when critics said it was a waste of money.They also said he couldn't built low cost housing units but he proved them wrong.I'm always sad when i see the opportunities that Ogun State has pass them to Ibadan.Amosun has been in the system before and has people in and out of the system he can consult should he need advise.
As for Rochas,i know he can do it 'cos he has already been achieving the feat with his money.Fine,the money may not be available but it's time for states to start strategising on maximising their IGR.Ogun State can conveniently go into real estate and turn the Sagamu-Ibafo-Mowe axis into industrial and residential estates.

Btw,its so convenient for one to read online journalism and form an opinion miles away.I laugh when you refer to Amosun as one that does not know the workings of a government.I'm still laughing as i sign off this thread.I wish we could criticise constructively for once and not rubbish ideas that CAN actually work if everybody is ready.

to improve on our education, it has to come from the zeal of the student, you ve got to give the free access to education and improve on the teachers welfare and make a very conducive classrooms like what we are seeing in lagos.


awo said during his time that it is possible to give free education at all level if we are ready, imagine a N4 trillion budget that can even provide the basic amenities that we need or wastages in govt money etc N2billion inauguration fees, N10 billion Bankoles Loan, N50billion naira erastus and all sorts of humiliating amount of money being looted on daily basis via inflation of contracts etc.


We are the cause of all these problem, we are very naive to fight for our right,

when egyptians learn they are in bondage, they took to streets and they were liberated, same in libya, syria, yemen but here in naija we ve been charmed and to watch these same looters to rule us.

cement prices is skyrocketing, kerosene is now N1200 per galon which was N500 6 months ago, diesiel N200 per liter,

come to think of it there is no opposition to all these mofos, they perpetrate evil and can smile at functions, we need to act now lets form genuine opposition to government not the cowards like acn, labour etc who are all interested in the prices of petrol as if it is what make up the country, no more pressure groups.


we will sufer till the end if we dont act now

mcgboye:

@x-factoria, Do i really need to reply u? I think not, but i'll ask a question that usually bugs me anytime I go through a thread on NL: do u really need to insult someone to make your point? As in, when will u people learn to be polite?
Okay, u also asked if I knew d name of his firm. Haba! Even if I didnt know, i only have to google it. By the way, i also work for a BIG accounting firm (i aint boasting, but u get my point). You're not going to ask me to name my firm's name, are u?
Let me address a bigger issue. I think it's time u guys stopped insultin fellow NLanders in order to make your point. IMO, it is d genesis of our lawmakers throwing chairs at one another in d house; this is how it starts.

Hey, can you please focus on the issues and not get really personal? I can't see any insult in saying you sounded gullible. Seriously, I think your problem is that you read english like you are reading Yoruba. A lot of english expressions may seem insultive if you give them Yoruba interpretations.

If you ever get to talk to your brother, please tell him he may have scored cheap points with the less-informed in the state but not with people like me. In Ogun State, we are not asking for free education but qualitative education. Amosun should get his priorities right. Renaming stadium, TV and Radio Stations shows that he is driven more by vegeance than a burning desire to set things right. We need good roads, continued rural electrification, quality education, affordable healthcare and economic empowerment in various forms. That is what government should be about. If at all, his free education should be total, without PTA fees, Development Levies, Security Fees etc. We are watching with interests.

I am not so enthusiastic about Amosun's government because that was the same messaic welcome given to Gbenga Daniel who messed us up big time, playing politics with the lives of people in the state. And to think that Amosun and OGD were friends until the latter decided to run for second time, I will take Amosun less seriously. He is a professional politician for all I care.

I just want my state to witness astronomical development and I hope Amosun will surprise me.

Personally, I think all these announcements of free education and healthcare are more political than well thought out. I won't be surprised if 6 months into the free education thing, we start to hear that the state cannot pay minimum wage or is owing salaries. if that happens, then what is the point of free this and free that?

It's not as though free education is really impossible, but I just worry whether the scheme has been well thought through and whether the states finances can support it.

aieromon:

@kobojunkie
I never said Jakande introduced free education.He built lots of schools and scrapped night schools when critics said it was a waste of money.They also said he couldn't built low cost housing units but he proved them wrong.I'm always sad when i see the opportunities that Ogun State has pass them to Ibadan.Amosun has been in the system before and has people in and out of the system he can consult should he need advise.
As for Rochas,i know he can do it 'cos he has already been achieving the feat with his money.Fine,the money may not be available but it's time for states to start strategising on maximising their IGR.Ogun State can conveniently go into real estate and turn the Sagamu-Ibafo-Mowe axis into industrial and residential estates.

Btw,its so convenient for one to read online journalism and form an opinion miles away.I laugh when you refer to Amosun as one that does not know the workings of a government.I'm still laughing as i sign off this thread.I wish we could criticise constructively for once and not rubbish ideas that CAN actually work if everybody is ready.

Here the short of all I have said so far is this --- Jakande did not make the promises without first ensuring he had knowledge of what our Government was able to afford at the time. I mean the man did make some promises that were never fulfilled in his time, why? Because there was no money to do that. What Amosun is doing today is not what Jakande did. For pete's sake, Ogun state is billions of naira is dept already, and with little or no infrastructural development. How can you compare that to Jakande's situation in Lagos back in the late 70's/early 80s?

My point is, you claim that the man did COMPREHENSIVE research is bull when you consider that likely, up until last week, he probably knew just as little of the state's financial works and you and I did. ate can conveniently go into real estate and turn the Sagamu-Ibafo-Mowe axis into industrial and residential estates. The same applies to Rocha. Making such promises without first considering the true nature of the problem is not always a wise one. That is part reason why we continue to find ourselves where we are today.  Fortunately, with FOI out of the way, we can now do more comprehensive studies to know when our candidates are blowing hot air up our arses and when they are not.

aieromon:

Btw,its so convenient for one to read online journalism and form an opinion miles away.I laugh when you refer to Amosun as one that does not know the workings of a government.I'm still laughing as i sign off this thread.I wish we could criticise constructively for once and not rubbish ideas that CAN actually work if everybody is ready.

Here's a reality check for you and others like you. Most Nigerians living in Nigeria know less than those who live outside of Nigeria and read the same papers. I am sorry but that whole "I live in Nigeria so I know more" belief is nothing but a lie. Live with that. From the voting records, to the acceptance culture exuded by many of you living down there, it is clear now what the problem has always been. It is not that YOU KNOW but refuse to do what is right. It has been that YOU DO NOT KNOW BUT PRETEND THAT YOU KNOW MORE.

There are ideas, and then there are ideas. Sure, in a utopic situation, Free Education would make sense, but when announced in a state that is

a) Lacking in many of the basic necessities
b) Barely able to pay the salaries of it's employees  each month
c) generates very little in GDP each year


Ideas should not be allowed to trump common sense. Again, Free Education sounds good, but it is your duty to also ask what the possible costs are. Not make excuses for those in power as if that is what you were made for.

COMPAQ:

Personally, I think all these announcements of free education and healthcare are more political than well thought out. I won't be surprised if 6 months into the free education thing, we start to hear that the state cannot pay minimum wage or is owing salaries. if that happens, then what is the point of free this and free that?

It's not as though free education is really impossible, but I just worry whether the scheme has been well thought through and whether the states finances can support it.

hmmmmmmmmmmmm