Government College Ibadan Alumni
The Oyo State chapter of a pressure group, Joint Action Front (JAF) has accussed the Alumni association of Government College Ibadan under the aegis of GCI Old Boys Association (GCIOBA) of undue interference with the admission process of new intakes to the school.
The group who made this known in a statement signed and issued on Monday by Ademola Aremu and Abiodun Bamigboye, State Coordinator and Secretary respectively noted that no fewer than 170 students which comprise 100 students from GCI Junior school 1 and 70 from GCI Junior school 2 were denied opportunity to attend GCI after their successful performance in the placement test and issued placement letter duly signed by the Commissioner for Education, Science & Technology.
The groups said the dream of the innocent 170 prospective students to attend GCI was cut short because of the unilateral and high handed directive of the Wale Babalakin-led GCI Old Boys Association who ordered that the number of students to be admitted into GCI Junior school 1 and 2 must be limited to 180 and 210 against the capacity of 280 students population for each schools 1 and 2 which should have totalled 560.
The statement reads in part “The attention of Joint Action Front (JAF) Oyo State Chapter has been drawn lately to the news of undue interference of Mr Wale Babalakin-led, Old Boys Association of Government College Ibadan (GCI) in the admission process of the new intakes to the school.
“A total number of one hundred and seventy (170) students which comprise 100 students from GCI Junior school 1 and 70 from GCI Junior school 2 were denied opportunity to attend GCI after their successful performance in the placement test and issued placement letter duly signed by the Commissioner for Education, Science & Technology.
“The dream of the innocent 170 prospective students to attend GCI was cut short because of the unilateral and high handed directive of the Wale Babalakin-led GCI Old Boys Association.
“He ordered that the number of students to be admitted into GCI Junior school 1 and 2 must be limited to 180 and 210 against the capacity of 280 students population for each schools 1 and 2 which should have totalled 560.
“JAF decries this elitist action and most importantly considers it as illegal and anti poor. The implication of the directive is that all the claims of the Wale Babalakin-led led Old Boys Association of its investment of over N2billion on the school is a mere deceit and grandstanding.
“As far as we are concerned there is no basis for school that claimed to have enjoyed over N2billion investment in the last few years not to be able to have enough facilities and infrastructure to admit students up to its prescribed capacity.
“All stakeholders must recall that GCI, being an urban school in category A, has a prescribed capacity to accommodate students population that range from 1,000 to 1,199 with 40 students for class of seven (7) arms each of JS1-3, S1-3. This has now been jettisoned.
“It is in this light that JAF totally condemns the so-called directive by the Wale Babalakin-led GCI Old Boys Association that has caused psychological imbalance in the lives of the affected children of poor parents. It is a clear demonstration of the sinister motive deceptively and brazenly branded to be in the overall interest of the general public.
“As far as we are concerned, this is just a glimpse of what is in the offing if Wale Babalakin-led GCI Old Boys Association in connivance with Engr Seyi Makinde – led government is allowed in their attempt to take over GCI. JAF reiterates its opposition to the planned GCI takeover occasioned by the clandestine moves in Memorandum of Understanding, MOU that seeks to cede the ownership of any of the public school in the state to any individual or group for profit interest.
“As we speak, the so called MOU guiding the so-called partnership has continued to be kept away from the public knowledge. JAF condemns this, and demands immediate release of the MOU into the public domain.
“JAF commends the GCI host community, public – spirited individuals and PTA for their continuous agitations against the takeover of GCI and insistence that the school should continue to be owned by the public and run solely for public interest.
“We urge that their voices should become louder especially with the ongoing clandestine move and desperation by Wale Babalakin-led GCI Old Boys Association to induce members of the Oyo State House of Assembly to pass the MOU into law.
“JAF urges Oyo State House of Assembly to resist any clandestine move to use its members against the overall interest of the public which they represent”
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