Oyo State government has ordered the reopening of 23 schools in Atiba, Afijio, Oyo East and Oyo West local government areas which were shut 10 years ago due to a boundary dispute.
This followed the intervention of the state’s deputy governor, Barrister Adebayo Lawal, at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Western Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan, to fashion out ways of resolving the dispute.
Lawal, who doubles as the chairman of the state’s boundary committee, charged the chairmen of Atiba, Afijio, Oyo East and Oyo West councils to ensure security and peace in their domains.
He warned that if there were any breaches of security, the chairmen would be held responsible.
The deputy governor said the ministry of education would oversee the schools after their reopening.
He enjoined the members of Oyo State House of Assembly, representing the affected constituencies to work with community leaders to ensure that children go back to school.
Lawal appreciated the president, Oyo Global Forum, a non-partisan group of professionals from the four LGAs that constitute the Oyo federal constituency, noting that the group’s interest in the progress of the affected schools was commendable.
The deputy governor who assured the stakeholders that the office of the surveyor-general would wade into the boundary dispute among the communities appealed to the community leaders to adhere to the Oyo State Government’s verdict on the schools.
“I appeal to you, our elders and chairmen of the affected local governments, to consider the future of these children.
“The primary reason this meeting is held is for the schools that were closed for 10 years to reopen immediately. That is the message from the governor himself.
“We have engaged all the stakeholders, community leaders, Honourable members, the chairmen of the various local governments, and we have agreed that schools must reopen in the interest of those children”, he said.
