Oyo pupils boycott schools over transfer of teachers

The last may not have been heard about an uproar generated over the creation of new local government development areas in Oyo metropolis, as the lingering crisis has taken a new dimension.
For three weeks running, primary schools in seven villages in the Oyo-East local government have remained under lock and key, following their boycott by the villagers.
The villages which include Oke-Apo, Kiyeseni, Ajagba, Apara, Imeleke, Baseke, and Ilu-Aje, are Oyo homesteads and among the 15 communities that are challenging the Oyo State Government and Governor Abiola Ajimobi at an Abuja Federal High Court for ceding their territories to another council, the Afijio local government.
There were four local governments in the metropolis [Afijio, Atiba,
Oyo-East and Oyo-West] before the creation of four additional council development areas.
Of all the new council development areas created, that of Oyo South-East under which the fifteen villages fall is the most contentious.
Before now, postings and transfers of primary school teachers were not based on indigenisation policy, as pupils were taught in schools in conducive and harmonious atmospheres.
But shortly after the creation of new council development areas, primary school teachers who are indigenes of Oyo were transferred from the villages to Oyo town, while their counterparts who are indigenes of Afijio were retained.
Disturbed about the development, the villagers, who wondered why such discriminate decision could have been taken, retaliated by preventing their wards from going to schools.
This didn’t go down well with some irate youths from the neighbouring local government, who stormed the villages and warned the villagers to rescind their decision or face the consequence.
Perturbed by such action, the villagers after an emergency meeting resolved not to rescind their decision, but warned that any further invasion of their villages by any group would be vehemently resisted.
It was learnt that the timely intervention of men of the Directorate of State Service (DSS) and other security agencies averted a bloodshed.
Speaking in an interview, head of Kiyeseni village and spokesman for the other village heads, Chief Lateef Busari, said: “In this circumstance, how do we guarantee safety of our children? Why the discriminatory policy? We are Oyo enclaves and had been living harmoniously withour rancour”.
While commending security agencies for their sense of devotion to duty, Busari warned against any act by any group that could undermine peace and tranquility in the state’
Also commenting, Chairman, Oyo Metropolitan Development Association, Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, described the situation as ‘disheartening, worrisome and a dangerous precedent’.
Efforts to speak with secretaries of both the Afijio and Oyo-East Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) were to no avail, as they kept sealed lips over the matter.
As at the time of filing this report, schools were still deserted by pupils, as few teachers who are Afijio indigenes were seen discussing the situation in groups.