Creative Ogbeni’s education revolution

AS IT IS By Soji Omotunde/OPINION  

 THE NATION

Aregbesola

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar got it right vividly last week when he joined the State of Osun people in his wife’s town of Ilesa to launch of Opon-Imo.

He was quoted: “Our greatest asset in this country is not oil; it is not cocoa; it is not cassava or groundnuts. And I respect all our farmers and their contributions towards our development. Our greatest asset is our people, the Nigerian people. We have to educate and train our teeming young population if we seriously hope to develop this country.”

From experience, he believes education and training will open doors of opportunity to students and help in rebuilding the nation. “Only education can guarantee the future of our young people. The education of our children and the overall development of our human capital is something that we can all agree on, irrespective of our political parties or platforms. We may disagree on how and where. But very few people would ask why we should give our children quality education,” he summarized approvingly.

Undeniably, one of the issues depressing Nigeria’s development today is the waning state of education. That people now prefer sending their children to school in Ghana is a pointer to failure locally. But I have become excited with the move taken by the governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, which was authenticated by Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, as step to revolutionize the education sector.

The innovation of Opon-Imo (the Tablet of Knowledge), a standalone e-learning tablet that provides the high school pupils with the contents required to prepare for school leaving examinations manifests the optimism of practical transformation. To radically democratise access to learning, regardless of means, location or status, 150,000 of the tablets are being distributed to all government high school students across Ogbeni’s state.

Opon-Imo, a portable electronic device, which is controlled through its touch screen interface, is the first of its kind initiative in Nigeria, Africa and possibly, the world. As informed by the governor, it will tackle the learning problem using contemporary ICTS, indigenous content, and taking into account socially-embedded factors. It is a mobile learning tool pupils can utilize in multiple at home, in school and any other location and fitting for a country like Nigeria with unreliable networks because the customized content will work regardless of data networks.

With 56 tutorials and e-textbooks covering 17 subjects, there are also more than 40,000 practice questions and answers, seven extra-curricular books capable of tracking pupil’s academic progress. To make it more usable, beyond being powered by electricity, independent powering communal solar charging systems have already been installed in all the schools as a resourceful initiative in a nation stressed with awful power system.

Apart from bringing the schools closer to the students and serving as “a silver bullet to the learning challenges,” Ogbeni affirmed that the project aimed at building a knowledge-based society and digital-drive economy will ultimately work towards the development of the nation. This benefit will even be beyond saving the state an estimated annual textbook procurement cost of N8.4billion ($53million). What a unique novelty.

Just like Atiku counselled, notwithstanding political parties or platforms, Ogbeni has shown commendable inventive way other states and the central government can integrate into in order to transform this nation in reality. Also in the same manner Asiwaju Bola Tinubu applauded Ogbeni, he has indeed been performing as a man of “principle, determination, optimism and progressivism who always believe in achievements and transformation.”

With the Opon-Imo creativeness, it is established that Ogbeni governing in ways that are not usual has “all it takes to perform wonders because he is a tested and trusted administrator who knows his onions.”

Please, boo misinformation minister more

Maku

What a pity that Information Minister Labaran Maku has lost the correct spirit of journalism which is based on the truth and truth alone. He now acts and talks the way of typical Nigerian politician, fabled in sham and fickleness.

Why things have not been working in the country was because of the insincerity of those in power. They strive to impress themselves instead of dedication to pleasing the people who they used to attain power.

In the exertion to satisfy the President, and not Nigerians, Maku was gallivanting at the 2013 Ministerial Platform of the administration’s mid-term report. He bragged that the Federal Government intervention in road and transport sector were unprecedented in Nigeria’s history. To him, the work on rail and water are so marvellous. “We have never seen anything like we have seen since 1960” on the jobs being done. Really? He claimed that since Tafawa Balewa administration in the 60s, no government was able to fulfil promises as much as GEJ’s. Na wha o!

As he was over-shooting himself, as if those he was talking to were dumb and blind, he lashed Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola as a non-performer who merely generates 80% of the state revenue from federal infrastructure. According to him, “most of the projects in Lagos State where taxes are being collected are federal projects;” adding that “Lagos State does no significant thing other than environmental sanitation.” What an imprudent assertion?

And that was how he fell to the hands of the thousands of participants at the event – comprising his erstwhile media colleagues, civil society organisations officers, MDA officials and members of the public who couldn’t see any sense in his cacophony. They all booed him just the same way he is now being booed all around for his inanity, folly and senseless talk.

Even an adversary of Fashola with wisdom cannot rebuff the impact of his performance on Lagosians.