KAYODE ANIMASAUN
Students and pupils across schools in Ondo state today resumed for the 2023/2024 academic session.
In some of the schools visited, students were seeing clearing the premises while new intakes were seen with their parents undergoing admission processes.
Some students who spoke with Radio Nigeria expressed their readiness to make the new academic session a successful one.
A parent, Mr Nelson Mafo however lamented the hardship many parents faced to get money for the purchase of needed items, urging the government to do more in alleviating the suffering of Nigerians occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.
Also speaking with Radio Nigeria, the principal of Fiwasaye secondary school, Akure, Mrs Temitope Ojoge and the head teacher of Alagbaka estate primary school Mrs ikujuni Funmilayo, said all teachers had been briefed on needed information in preparation for the new session.
Some head teachers however called on the state government to pay attention to the state of many primary schools which had been dilapidated and not fit for learning.
Meanwhile, As students began the new session, the free shuttle buses by the Ondo State government have resumed operations in Akure, the state capital as part of measures to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal by the federal government.
The Ondo State government had last month, announced free shuttle buses for students and public servants in the state till December 31st, 2023.
Our Correspondent who has been monitoring the operations of the buses since six o clock in the morning, reports that the vehicles did not report in some of the designated bus stops while others started operations very late.
It was also observed that many students were trekking kilometres, some were seen on commercial motorcycles while others were rushing to join taxis.
Similarly, hope of many students and pupils in Akoko area of Ondo state was dashed today as only two free shuttle buses were available for skeletal operations.
It was gathered that majority of the buses needed to be repaired as they have been grounded for over three years.
Our correspondent who monitored the resumption in Ugbe, Ikare and Arigidi Akoko observed that most of the students who had waited at various bus stops in the town eventually trekked to their schools when the only two buses available could not take them all.
A parent from Olokun Agbaluku, chief Tayo Origbemisoye said government should have put the vehicles in good condition having promised to return them as part of palliaitves for fuel subsidy.
Chief Origbemisoye appealed to government to do more in reducing the hardship occasioned by the hike in price of fuel which had affected all sectors of the economy.