I stumbled upon a video celebrating the end of Godwin Obaseki’s tenure as governor of Edo State and subsequently that of Joan Oviawe in the ministry of education. Particularly, the video was against Oviawe, who was also the Executive Chairperson of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and promoter of the now known scam – EdoBest.
Not just the video. There were also some other graphic design materials by these workers in the education sector – not over her alleged academic achievements or reforms but over allegations of authoritarian rule, alleged financial mismanagement, and disregard for civil service protocols. During the celebration, as seen in the video and placards, they claimed she left behind a battered education system.
I think the World Bank, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Seun Okinbaloye needed to see these videos and graphics to understand how exactly the people and workers in the ministry feel about Oviawe and her EdoBest scam.
Oviawe’s tenure was marred by accusations of centralizing power, sidelining ministry officials, and implementing policies that disrupted the sector rather than improving it. Teachers and administrators frequently clashed with her, accusing her of high-handedness and an unwillingness to listen to stakeholders. The height of this discontent was reached when she unilaterally demoted a school principal without due process – an act that many saw as an abuse of power and office.
Then there is the case of the missing $75 million in World Bank education funds. Oviawe said that the money was strictly allocated for pedagogy and technology rather than infrastructure. She even claimed to have retooled most of the schools in the state. However, the question remains: If $75 million was indeed used effectively, why are Edo students still sitting on bare floors in classrooms without desks, chairs, windows, or doors?
Why are most of the schools in places like Oredo, Ego, Ikpoba-Okha, among several other cosmopolitan local government areas still without conducive learning classrooms? Let’s not talk of Gele-Gele in Ovia North East LGA or far flung Akoko-Edo local government area with schools operating with only a principal and vice principal, while communities are forced to hire teachers themselves.
Oviawe’s tenure also saw widespread frustration over the handling of public school examinations, with reports of logistical failures that caused disruptions in the Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination (PSLCE) and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Besides, thousands of textbooks, donated by the federal government, were hoarded and left undistributed – am told because they bore the face of President Bola Tinubu.
Yet, the education sector in Edo tells a different story – a story of decay, neglect, and failed policies.
And so, her exit has been met with jubilation. Some say it is the “liberation” of Edo’s education system from years of misrule. Teachers, parents, and students alike are hopeful that her successor will restore sanity to the system, prioritize infrastructure, and ensure that government funds are used for their intended purpose.
The question is, will the present Commissioner for Education, Mr. Paddy Iyamu address the infrastructural decay, teacher shortages, and bureaucratic inefficiencies that have plagued the system? I hope those who protested against Oviawe are hopeful now? The scars of Oviawe’s tenure will not fade overnight, but her departure marks the beginning of a long-overdue recovery process.
For now, the celebrations continue, as educators and ministry staff breathe a collective sigh of relief, eager for a future free from the controversies of the past – Obaseki and Oviawe.
