A former commissioner for Education and Kwara Central senatorial candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has been accused of destroying Colleges of Education in Kwara State during his time as commissioner for Education between 2007-2011.
The accusation was made by a teacher, Mr Kamaldeen Dare on a popular radio program on Sobi FM, “Eto Wa” by leading Pro-Democracy group, Kwara Must Change.
According to Mr Kamaldeen, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi is only throwing around the concept of big ideas in rhetorics, he has no understanding of the concept itself.
Kamaldeen stated that, the challenges facing all Kwara State colleges of Education started with Bolaji Abdullahi, when he was commissioner for Education.
“It was under Bolaji Abdullahi’s leadership, that most courses being done by colleges of education in the state was cancelled and a college, which for example, has a student population of over 40,000 suddenly started having less than a thousand students ” Kamal said, adding that this development brought a situation where colleges of education could no longer generate enough resources to run its affairs.
He explained that, this was a time, when the colleges had been given autonomy, in which they are expected to run the institutions with funds generated by themselves.
“How does Bolaji Abdullahi and the government he served in, expected the colleges to independently, when they have already cut off the main source of their revenue by cancelling many courses that usually bring more students to the colleges? He asked.
Mr Kamal said that this development was responsible for the death of colleges of education in the state, which eventually culminated owing lecturers several months of unpaid salaries, noting that the current administration met all colleges of education on strike due to several months of unpaid salaries, running into 14months.
Another analyst, Mr Lanre Babadudu also alluded to the claim, stating that the ugly development in colleges of education at some point, made some lecturers become laborers, due to several months of unpaid salaries.
