Education
Ambode Okays Contracts to Renovate 174 Classrooms
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Thursday said his administration has awarded contract for the construction of eight new blocks of classrooms as well as the renovation of 174 existing blocks of classrooms and the construction of perimeter fence in various schools to enhance security.
The Governor, who spoke at the Foundation Laying ceremony of the New Model School in Awori College, Ojo, said the government has also commenced the supply of over 40,000 students’ furniture on a quarterly basis to clear the identified shortfall of 160,000.
Governor Ambode, who was represented at the ceremony by his Deputy, Mrs Oluranti Adebule expressed optimism that the sustained efforts of his administration to improve on the quality of teaching and learning environment would positively impact on the performance of students.
He noted that performance of students in the last West African Examination Council (WAEC) conducted examination was most assuring and an indication that the State was moving in the right direction.
The Governor said, “Today we are introducing a new model of block of classrooms in our public secondary schools. This edifice, apart from aiding teaching and learning, will compare favourably with high school structures in leading countries of the world.
“Apart from the aesthetics value, the new structure is capable of enhancing security of students, staff and schools materials in the face of the recent security breaches in our schools. It would comprise 36 classrooms, library, staff rooms, multipurpose hall, laboratories, principal/Vice Principal’s offices and modern toilet facilities for both junior and senior schools.”
He assured students in the State that his administration was committed to building a future of great opportunities, possibilities and prosperity through the provision of qualitative education that is consistent with the demands of the 21stcentury.
He enjoined the students to embrace the opportunities being provided by showing serious commitment to their studies and shun all negative values that could hinder their dreams.
“Let me assure all parents that we will continue to do our very best to ensure that our schools are safe from intruders. We have put in place measures to secure our pupils, students, teaching and non-teaching staff. Our standards are high and we will continue to make them better,” Mr Ambode said.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, said that the words and actions of Governor Ambode about education has spoken loud and in unequivocal terms about his passion to ensure the provision of high quality education that is accessible to all learners through effective and efficient management of resources for the attainment of self-reliance and socio- economic development.
Also, Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Mr Lanre Ogunyemi, urged residents to appreciate the government’s prompt response to anything that has to do with education and future development of youths in the State, adding that the priority being accorded education in the state, particularly by the Mr Ambode-led administration cannot but be applauded.
He said though other states of the federation find it difficult to pay teachers’ salary, the reverse was the case in Lagos as Governor Ambode pays salaries of staff, teachers inclusive on the 22nd of every month.
“This present administration recently employed more than 1,300 teachers and is about employing another 1,000. All these and other achievements were made possible due to good managers and able lieutenants at the helm of affairs as far as education are concerned,” Mr Ogunyemi said.
By Akeem Akinniyi
Playwright: Olutayo Irantiola
Publisher: Peo Davies Communications
Year of Publication: 2022
Reviewer: Akeem Akinniyi
Olutayo Irantiola’s The Okeho Exodus is a historical play set in 1916 but written in a modern-day language and filled with elements that will not alienate a reader in these present times. The play revisits the past of the descendants of Okeho, who resettled among the hills along with ten villages to stem the tide of invasion by the Dahomey and Fulanis. What follows are intrigues of betrayal and bastardisation of culture by colonialists, which eventually leads to the tragic end of not only the king but the loss of the town’s sovereignty to the colonial masters.
The theme of betrayal dominates the play, and the only character who survives it is Oba Arilesire, who built a harmonious home of settlers which sets the tone for successive kings before the turn of Onjo Olukitibi.
The emergence of Captain Ross and his fellow conquerors in Okeho with their laws and subjugation of the people leads to distrust among the chiefs and sets the plot to oust the king, Onjo Olukitibi.
A wave of betrayal rises among the chiefs who think Onjo Olukintibi has sold them out to the colonialists referred to as ‘Ajele’ (a Yoruba word for usurpers). The internecine fighting grows beyond the borders of Okeho and extends to other towns as Balogun Olele seeks allies from far and within against the king.
In the end, the king is captured and annihilated along with his family. Captain Ross avenges the death of the king, and attacks and arrests the unerring chiefs to bring law and order to Okeho, thereby establishing the sovereignty of the colonial masters.
The play deploys antithesis effectively to strike a balance in the events as well as the lives of the characters and the passing of the years. Oba Arilesire’s reign is filled with harmonious living and unity among the people. He would go on to die peacefully in his sleep. This is contrasting to the reign of Onjo Olukintibi whose reign ends in disarray with mistrust in the air and would later die agonizingly in the hands of his own people.
Another is the replacement of invaders; at first, it is the Fulanis and Dahomeys whose aggression make the people of Okeho flee to the new place. Little had they settled down when the colonialists invaded their space, and sadly, it will result in their return to the place they left earlier.
The challenges of colonialism to traditional laws and customs are symbolized by the emergence of Captain Ross whose influence and power conflicted with Onjo Olukintibi, thereby reducing his relevance before the people. His authority is challenged, and as Captain Ross’ influence grows, Olukitibi’s stature shrinks.
The people of Okeho begin to see him as the puppet of the white man. An example is the statement of Oladunni (41) “The reign of Olukitibi is already disheartening. We have never experienced this in Okeho Ahoro, I have been watching with keen interest, and I am getting to lose hope in his leadership abilities. People have been saying that Olukitibi was not the right person to be crowned, he was imposed on us by the colonial masters. But will the kingmakers and the oracle lie?”
The theme of betrayal echoes throughout the book, and it is expressed in many ways. Jinjin represents the modern, inquisitive, and courageous woman who believes in equality. She also represents the Biblical Eve, whose inquisitiveness led to the fall of man through her desire to partake in the Oro traditions. A Yoruba cult tradition that forbids the participation of women. She never hides her intent to break all patriarchal foundations (25):
Jinjin: My right to social equality, freedom of association and speech. I want to know more about Oro. If it was an entirely sacred thing, men should also stay out of the rituals.
To achieve her husband, Olojomo’s commitment to making her participate, she weaponises sex, and the poor man submits to her guiles: “Yes, my mind is at rest now. I am sure that I would soon partake of the ritual, and we would break all the limitations that have been set by many generations” ” (63). Olojomo would go on to get her involved in the ritual, a flaw that ridicules his legacy in the Oro cult leading to his disgrace from the group by fellow initiates who considered his actions a betrayal of trust.
Another female character of note is Oladunni, who challenges the status quo of the submissive housewife who must accept everything that her husband dishes out to her. She broke patriarchal norms by talking back at her husband Oga Akooda (37) who in a state of excitement and drunkenness about the Oro festival insults her father which she replied accordingly and disrespectfully. The husband chases her with the intent to beat her and, instead of being apologetic, tries to give reasons for his uncouth behaviour. (38)
Oga Akioda: She has to swallow those words if not, there won’t be peace any longer in this house. She thought I was tipsy and could not reason well.
Oladunni: I will go to the court of Ross. You will learn lessons. I cannot tolerate you any longer. You are a violent man. (He wants to chase her again, but Akoda holds him).
The court of Ross is the court of the white man which allows room for divorce. This can be seen as a breakaway from the cultural norm of family and community elders settling marital conflicts. It reflects a subjugation of traditional authority. Some of the little cracks that, bit by bit collapse the wall of traditions and customs.
The playwright makes use of songs to communicate and express the mood. The language, though direct, is sometimes riddled with too much Yoruba aided by code-mixing and translations that somehow belabour the point. Some scenes appear intrusive, as we have during the choice of kingship. Above all, the playwright achieves his aim of telling an ancient story to a modern audience by reflecting on the effects of colonialism and its attendant evils of erosion of cultures and abuse of power.
Akinniyi Akeem is an advertising copywriter with one of the leading PR agencies in Nigeria. He enjoys the art of writing, and in his spare time, he loves to delight the blank page with poetry and short stories.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An Islamic endowment fund called MetWaqf, designed to support the education of underprivileged persons in Nigeria, irrespective of their religion, has been launched by The Metropolitan Law Firm with the support of FBNQuest Trustees.
The charity initiative is part of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of the two organisations and was unveiled at the 5th Islamic Estate Planning Clinic in Abuja.
The Managing Partner at The Metropolitan Law Firm, Mr Ummahani A. Amin, stated that the MetWaqf was established for the betterment of education in Nigeria.
According to him, MetWaqf is an Islamic endowment fund dedicated to promoting and providing education, most especially to underprivileged persons in Nigeria, saying he looks forward to the impact the initiative will have in society.
Also, the Managing Director of FBNQuest Trustees, Mr Adekunle Awojobi, said, as the first and leading providers of trust services in Nigeria, FBNQuest Trustees was particularly elated about the partnership and support on the MetWaqf initiative, expressing optimism that this charity initiative in its entirety will get the interest of everyone regardless of religion.
Speaking on the estate planning clinic, Mr Awojobi stated that the basic principle of estate planning was ensuring the preservation of legacies.
The event had some renowned Islamic financial scholars educating participants on the Islamic law of inheritance (Farā’id), the importance of estate planning in Islam and the various Shari’ah compliant estate planning tools like Waqf, Zakat, Hibah etc., and how they can be used to ensure that the affairs of all heirs and beneficiaries are adequately addressed in modern times.
These topics were dissected by Dr Nuruddeen Lemu, Director of Research and Training at the Da’wah Institute of Nigeria; Professor Ahmad Dogarawa, a professor at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; and Dr Warshu Tijjani, Rabi’u a Shariah Board member of Noor Takaful Nigeria, who is currently the Deputy Director, Research and Publication of International Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, Bayero University, Kano, Kano State.
Others were Ummahani Amin, the Managing Partner at The Metropolitan Law Firm; Mohammed Yunusa of The Metropolitan Law Firm; Mutiat Olatunji, a Private Trust Specialist at FBNQuest Trustees; and Aminu Dabo Musa, the Relationship Manager at FBNQuest Trustees.
As part of activities marking International Women’s Day (IWD), female workers of a mining and drilling services company, Geodrill Limited, charged girls at Ofoase Kokoben Senior High School (SHS) in the Ashanti Region of Ghaha to take up courses in male-dominated fields, such as mining to contribute to the development of the country.
The employees of the mining firm, during the visit, interacted with the students, sharing their experiences in the field and explaining why they should consider technically-related courses.
Antoinette Ankutse of Geodrill told News Ghana in an interview that the motivation behind the visit was to “empower the girls regarding courses to be pursued at the universities. We are into mining, and we wanted to use ourselves as a case study for the girls to realize that it is possible.”
She expressed optimism that the engagement would encourage the Ofoase Kokoben SHS girls and others across the country to take a cue from the female workers of Geodrill.
“In general, females should not be pushed into secretarial and clerical work but rather directed towards the technical fields,” added Ankutse.
The students thanked the female employees of Geodrill for taking time out of their busy schedules to empower them about their future careers.
Earlier, Geodrill ran a staff consultation as part of the IWD to discuss greater community engagement to encourage women in mining, including Bernice Gbadam, Doris Danso, and Becky Elithia, the first woman to work in Geodrill, the first woman to obtain a Geodrill driving permit, and the first woman to pursue an accounting program, respectively.
International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8 around the world to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
Geodrill has long set out to be a leader in championing strong economic, social and governance principals that drive the company’s activity.
Increasing the percentage of women employed in the company is clear target measured in the company’s annual ESG Impact report.
