The National President, Methodist High School Old Boys Association, (MHSIOBA), Dr Lekan Abioye says the bane of Nigerian education is corruption.
Abioye stated at the opening of the 2023 maiden Mega Reunion of the association in Ibadan on Friday that the poor state of education sector in the country was fueled by corruption.
The event has the theme: “Education, Innovation and Possibilities for a Better Nation”.
According to him, the present state of education in Nigeria is truly in a very big distress occasioned by corruption.
Abioye cited poor attitude to work, mismanagement of resources and laziness as factors aiding corruption in the education sector.
He stressed the need for leadership at all levels to show right examples and adhere to standards to bring sanity into the education system.
“When you are not doing you what you are supposed to do that is corruption. When you are to be at work for eight hours and you only spent five hours and you left that is corruption.
“One of the things that can curb corruption in Nigeria is right leadership,” Abioye said.
Citing his experience as the leader of the MHSIOBA, he stated that none of his executive members or those working in close connection with him was corrupted because of the leadership style he adopted.
Abioye said people should lead by example as the problem in the Nigerian education sector was corruption emanating from the leadership.
“If the leadership gets it right everything else will fall in line.
“Nigerians are the kind that when you set out the rules and you bring out two to three scapegoats everyone will comply,” he said.
He emphasized transparency, integrity and openness, adding that the ripple effects of corruption have been poverty and younger generations that were after getting rich quickly.
Abioye called for the rebuilding of standards in public schools from basic level to tertiary level.
He said his administration in the last four years had brought development and infrastructure to Methodist High School.
He said projects such as standard gate, perimeter fence, electricity, boreholes and provision of financial assistance to indigent students.
“We are going a step further that is one of the reason we are having this mega reunion, there is strength in number.
“We are trying to see how we can galvanize people from different sets under one umbrella so we can take the school to enviable heights,” Abioye said.
