Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
September 21, 2015 – A 91 year old widow, Mrs. Roseline Ololo on Mondays stormed Ministry of Education, Lagos on wheel chair, protesting refusal of the Lagos State Government to handover, her school, Metropolitan College and Isolo Secondary School to her in accordance with the Education Private Secondary Institution (Special Provisions (Repeal) Law 2001.
The school and 47 others were taken over by Lagos State Government 39 years ago under a military decree, and were returned in 2001 when the former governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola repealed the law. But her school was excluded from the process forcing her to protest the development.
The woman stormed the ministry in company of her supporters and lawyers, armed with placards bearing the grievances and demands of the old widow: “ Stop double standard; Lagos State Government, obey the law, return the school; stop discrimination; give us back our schools, let us please the widow’, among others.
Speaking during the protest, Ololo said she wants the Lagos State Government to return her schools to her adding that her husband died in the struggle to get the school from government.
“Why is Lagos State discriminating against me? Is it because I am an Ibo woman?”, she queried adding that when her family acquired the land, many of those making things difficult for her were not born then.
Also speaking, her lawyer, Mr. Malcom Omirhobo said his client is frustrated by attitude of the Lagos State Government in respect the disputed property. He explained that following refusal of the Lagos State Government to give her client justice, he proceeded to court where parties were advised to go for mediation since ownership of the said property was not in dispute.
He said that the Lagos State government agreed to gradually disengage from the schools and that under the agreement, the state government would no longer be responsible for further admission of students into Junior Secondary School 1 but the private owners of the school.
“But the Lagos State Government has refused to issue any letter intimating us of their plans to gradually disengage from the school”, he said, adding that the Lagos State Government is reneging on the agreement.
While responding, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Elizabeth Olabisi Ariyo explained that the Lagos State Government is not reneging on its responsibility to handover the schools but that things have to be done in line with due process and all other schools that have been returned to the owners passed through due process.
She said that Lagos belongs to all and the state does not discriminate against anybody on the basis of ethnicity or any other basis.
She explained that one of the problems militating against the handover has to do with where the students currently in the school will be accommodated and that the state government will do things to be able to satisfy all parties involved including the students.
“The school serves a lot of populace, for us to displace them, there must be a place to put them”, she said.
But lawyer to the school, Omirhobo argued that his client is willing to accommodate the students and that all that is needed now is for the state government to communicate a letter of intent to disengage to his client and not go ahead to admit new students into JSS1. He said he has written several letters to the governor but to no avail.
Earlier in his letter to the former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the lawyer wrote.
“Our client is the owner of Metropolitan College, Isolo, now comprising Isolo Secondary School which was established in a rented apartment at No. 16 Banire Street, Surulere in the year 1955 with its first bath of 19 students. For expansion purposes and to move away from the thickly populated residential area of Surulere, our client acquired its present site at Ire-Akari Isolo in 1966 and the school eventually moved there in 1974.
“In 1976, via the Education(Private Secondary Institution Special Provisions) Law, the Military Government of Lagos State took over 48 private secondary schools including our client’s school from their owners.
“In 2001, via the Education Secondary Institutions) Special Provisions Repeal Law, the Lagos State Government under Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned the said 48 Private Secondary Schools to their owners.
“Since the year 2001 to date, our client’s school has not been returned to her which led our Client to seek redress in the court of law… the court has referred the case file to the Lagos State Multi Door Court to explore alternative to dispute resolution.
“Our client is financially and materially capable to run her school in whole and not in part and consequently, we would be grateful if you help put to an end to our client’s 39 years of excruciating agony and nightmare before your tenure expires”, he said.
