Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has directed that entry forms into the State’s Schools of Science and Junior Secondary Schools be made free henceforth.
The Governor, in a directive through the Head of Service, Mrs. Amidat Ololade Agboola, ordered that placement/screening exercise Forms for students into Junior Secondary Schools be made free henceforth.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, also indicated that Makinde had directed that registration forms for admission into Schools of Science in the state be free for all candidates.
The statement further disclosed that fees earlier paid by the categories of students mentioned above be refunded by the management of the respective schools immediately.
According to the statement, the directive by Makinde is in fulfilment of his electioneering campaign promise to promote free and quality education to the citizenry of the state.
The statement further appealed to stakeholders to co-operate with the present administration to ensure that the state assumes its pacesetter status in the education sector.
In another development, the government has kick-started massive refuse evacuation in Ibadan metropolis.
Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Gabriel Oguntola, and his Information Ministry counterpart, Dr. Bashir Olanrewaju, who spoke during the evacuation exercise held at Gege River in Ayeye, Ibadan, said that the exercise was aimed at making the state capital clean and habitable.
The Permanent Secretaries also noted that the exercise was part of the mandate given to the Implementation Committee by Makinde to keep Ibadan clean and ensure zero tolerance to indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
The duo further appealed to the traders and residents to support the state government in its bid to make the state clean and habitable.
According to them, keeping a hygienic environment would prevent any outbreak of epidemic and other communicable diseases that might be contacted from unhealthy environment.
They also stated that the present administration will continue to engage all the stakeholders including traders, market men and women, religious leaders as well as general public through sensitization programmes on wastes disposal.
The Chief Operating Officer of West African Energy, Mrs. Lolade Oresanya, who also spoke during the exercise, stated that some 30 priority dumping sites in Ibadan needed immediate evacuation, adding that Gege River in Ibadan North West Local Government has been identified as one.
She, therefore, admonished the residents and traders in the area to patronise government-approved refuse contractors and waste managers so as to achieve government’s mandate of zero tolerance for indiscriminate waste and refuse disposal in the state.
