Police Secondary School, Odanbon: Good one from Hon Makanjuola
Femi OGUNLANA
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Few days ago, news emerged that Hon Sunday Makanjuola a.k.a. Smato, representing Surulere/Ogo-Oluwa federal constituency, raised a motion in the House of Representatives seeking infrastructural development for the Police Secondary School, Odanbon in Surulere local government area of Oyo state.
Odanbon is in his constituency and raising the motion portrays his commitment to raising the bar of development in his area of electoral district. It is part of what good representation is.
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The Police Secondary School Odanbon was approved over ten years ago with over 40 hectares of land allotted for it, but over a decade, all it has seen is erection of a gate house and part of perimeter fence. Ironically, a similar school was approved for Igbo-Ora in Ibarapa area of Oyo state at the same time but while the Police Secondary School Igbo-Ora is already graduating students that of Odanbon is in limbo. The difference is that while Igbo-Ora people met the condition of provision of temporary site for take-off, Odanbon failed to meet the simple condition.
Though approval was granted by the Oyo state government for the use of part of Ogbomoso Grammar School, the requirement that that section is fenced and facilities released renovated could not be met. Ogbomoso Parapo driving the project at the time could neither muster fund nor secure commitment of anyone to undertake it. Thus, the institution failed to take off. The Police Education Department also requested that one or two blocks of classrooms be built on the permanent site to reflect the commitment of the community this also failed to materialize thus the school’s inherent opportunities such as economic growth are stillborn.
Therefore, it is heartening that Hon Smato brought the matter to the floor of the House. It shows legislative responsibility. He needs to do more nonetheless. He should go beyond raising the issue, he needs to intensify lobbying to get it in the budget. He should liaise with Dr Yunus Akintunde who is representing Oyo Central Senatorial District under which Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere federal constituency falls. Advantageously, Senator Akintunde is Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs. Though they belong to different political parties the good of the constituency, of their people, should however override political interests.
There is no way the histories of Nigeria Navy Secondary School Iresaapa and Federal Polytechnic Ayede will be written that the name Senator Ayo Adeseun who also represented the federal constituency and the senatorial district at different times will not be captured. He seized the opportunities to initiate the institutions and facilitated their take off. No one contributed more than he did in the establishment of the now two thriving schools that had put the constituencies on a higher pedestal in terms of employment opportunities, income/revenue generation, population cum business enhancement, and so on, which no doubt has elicited a spike in economic boom.
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I charge Hon Makanjuola to travel the same path to immortalize his name. He should adopt the project as his own; he needs to make the necessary contacts to ensure the coming to life of the school. He should go beyond the rhetoric of mentioning it in the hallowed chamber, he should go all out like Senator Adeseun did in the examples referred to above, to ensure its successful birth. Smato has openly identified with the project by raising it in the House, he has committed himself, failure to get the school off the ground will be his failure. So, he must be unwaveringly dedicated to get it done like a success he’s known to be.
I read recently that two Colleges of Forestry, one in Oyo state and one in Plateau state will be upgraded into full-fledged universities. That is the idea. Who knows what the Police Secondary School can transform into tomorrow?
Hon Sunday Makanjuola Smato, you gotta be smart in this monumental task as your alias connotes.
History beckons.
