According to the deputy governor, the state's Ministry of Education will oversee the schools after reopening, adding that the Ministry will do whatever is required to put the affected children in the areas back to school.
After remaining shut for 10 years because of a boundary crisis, the Oyo State Government, on Thursday, ordered the reopening of 23 schools in Atiba, Afijio, Oyo East and Oyo West local government areas of the state.
A long-standing boundary dispute had led to a 10-year closure of the said schools in the affected local government areas.
But rising from a stakeholders' meeting held at the Western Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan, to discuss ways of resolving the age-long land dispute, the state's deputy governor, Bayo Lawal, directed the immediate re-opening of the schools.
The affected schools include Community Basic School Obananko, Oyo; Community Basic School, Laagbe, Oyo; Pinnock Memorial Baptist School, Aba Epo, Oluwatedo, Oyo; Baptist Basic School, Oluwatedo, Oyo; St. Lukes Anglican, Bada Idiyalode, Oyo; L.A. Basic School, Ago, Oyo; Community Basic School, Igbo Olose, Oyo, in Oyo West Local Government.
Others are Community Basic School, Adebimpe, Oyo; Community Basic School, Obasere, Oyo; St. Thomas Anglican School, Alabi Olorunda, Oyo; St. Michael RCM, Apaara Village, Oyo; Methodist Primary School Ajagba, Oyo; Baptist Central School, Oniyanrin, Oyo; Baptist Primary School, Aguo, Oyo; ADS Primary School, Baba Elesin, Oyo, in Oyo East Local Government.
Also affected are L.A. School, Lannite, Oyo; L.A. Primary School, Gudugbu Orile, Oyo; L.A. Primary School, Gudugbu, Oyo; ADS Primary School, Aba Olori, Oyo; ADS Primary, Abujakan, Oyo; L.A. Basic School, Alagbon, Oyo and L.A. Basic School, Imeleke, Oyo, also in Oyo East LG.
According to Mr Lawal, the state's Ministry of Education will oversee the schools after reopening, adding that the Ministry will do whatever is required to put the affected children in the areas back to school.
The deputy governor, who is also the chairman of the State Boundary Committee, charged the chairpersons of Atiba, Afijio, Oyo East and Oyo West local government councils to ensure security and peace in their domains.
He warned that if there were breaches of security, the chairpersons would be held responsible.
He also enjoined the members of Oyo State House of Assembly, representing the affected constituencies to work with community leaders, to ensure that children go back to school.
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Mr Lawal expressed gratitude to the president, Oyo Global Forum, a non-partisan group of professionals from the four local governments constituting the Oyo federal constituency, noting that their interest in the progress of the affected schools were commendable.
He assured stakeholders in the communities that the office of the Surveyor General will wade into the boundary dispute among the communities.
The deputy governor also appealed to the community leaders to adhere to the Oyo State Government's verdict on the schools.
"I appeal to you, our elders and chairmen of the affected local governments, to consider the future of these children. The primary reason this meeting was held is for the schools that were closed for 10 years to reopen immediately. That is the message from the governor himself.
"We have engaged all the stakeholders, community leaders, members of the state House of Assembly, the chairmen of the various local governments, and we have agreed that schools must reopen in the interest of those children," he said.
The meeting was attended by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Salihu Adelabu; the Executive Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Nureni Aderemi Adeniran; chairpersons of the four local governments; and traditional leaders, among others.
