The Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Olusola Oke has been described as uninformed and confused about the true of position of events in the State he is attempting to govern.
The Mimiko Campaign Organisation (MCO), Tuesday, described as unfortunate the allegations by Oke about the Education Sector in the State, saying such remarks bordered on crass ignorance and symptomatic of a man who has refused to avail himself of events in the State.
In a statement by MCO’s Director of Publicity and Media Relations, Mr Kolawole Olabisi said Oke, in his desperation to govern Ondo State has embarked on deliberate falsehood and distortion of facts about basic information on Ondo State that are in the public domain.
His words: “We are amazed by Oke and his ilk that are distorting facts and displaying their crass ignorance on a daily basis in their vaunted ambition to govern Ondo State.
“In Ondo State, the Education Sector under Dr Olusegun Mimiko has been adjudged the best in Nigeria by even the Federal Ministry of Education itself. Indeed, let us remind him Olusola Oke, since he has forgotten or is not aware, that only two months ago, the Minister of State for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike had stated of Ondo Mega School thus: ‘As Minister of State for Education, I have not seen such a 21st century compliant primary school like this one in the entire country. This is the first of its kind in Nigeria. It is simply a world class achievement.’
“And since Oke had told the world that he is running with the legacy of Olusegun Agagu, a man who for six years was writing a blueprint on how to transform Ondo State which he called ‘roadmap to Progress’ but which never translated into any meaningful achievements in terms of projects, and for which the people voted against him in 2007, he should endeavour to find out that his boss (Agagu) did not pay the 27.5 %Teachers Salary Scale (TSS) while he was in office.
“And contrary to the lies that Mimiko has not paid this same 27.5 % to Ondo Teachers, we want to jolt his obvious … that Mimiko has been paying this money since July 2009 which is a mere 5 months after he got to office!
“One then wonders why Oke should be lying about these obvious facts. And on the issues of our tertiary institutions, we made bold to say that no institution in Nigeria has the type of quality but cheap tuition fee currently being enjoyed by our student. And again, trade disputes are normal occurrences between workers and their employers and this is not peculiar to Ondo State alone. No varsity or polytechnic in Nigeria is free from this so it should not be a thing that the Okes of this world should hammer as if it was only here that such occur alone. Also, the issue in dispute is a nationwide one which the leadership of academic and non-academic staff are still agitating for. In any case, workers in our institutions get their salaries and other emoluments as at when due.”
Olabisi therefore urged the PDP candidate to embark on vigorous campaigns to the people which he has refused to do rather than engaging on media stunts.
According to the MCO spokesperson, “elections are won in the wards and units not on the pages of newspapers and on televisions screens. Enough of this fly in the ointment tactics, it sucks,” he said .
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