1929 – 1989
By Osamede Osunde,
Williams Patrick Praise (from Iwaegeb Family)
Williams Patrick Praise (from Iwaegeb Family)
Professor
Ambrose Folorunsho Alli was the first Executive governor of (Bendel state) now
split into Edo and Delta states, was born in Idoani, Ondo state, on September
22, 1929. His father hail from Emuado quarters of Ekpoma. Professor Alli had
his primary school education in Ondo and Edo state. He began his education at
Mary’s catholic school, Oka-Odo, Ondo state in 1937.
Professor
Alli served as a house office at the Adeoyo hospital, Ibadan before proceeding
overseas for further studies. On his return from England, he was a lecturer at
the university of Ibadan from (1966-1969). (1969-1974) he was senior lecturer
at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Before his election as governor of
(Bendel state) now Edo state professor Alli was for five years (1974-1979) head
of the department of pathology, university of Benin, Benin City. He
was a member of the constituent assembly (1977-1978) that drafted 1978 Nigeria
constitution.
Having
won his governorship election on the platform of the unity party of Nigeria
(UPN). The party election manifesto promised free education at all level; free
medical service, integrated rural development, and full and gainful employment.
The main thrust of the four-year administration professor Alli was the
liberalization of educational opportunities for all. Hence at the foundation
stone laying ceremony of the (Bendel state university) now Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma name
after him. Professor Alli said:
“When
you educate a child, you educate a nation. When you educate the body and mind
you have an effective instrument for social and economic development. Education
is the platform for progress. It is the foundation of life itself” Between
October 1979 and March 1980, professor Alli’ administration established 80 new
secondary school in the state in addition to 187 already in existence. Approval
was also given for the establishment of 338 new secondary school in all part of
the state in such a way that no pupil would thenceforth, travel more than five kilometres
from his home to attend a secondary school.
By
the new dispensation, some local government in the state with just six
secondary school before he was elected governor in 1979 got as many as 16
additional day secondary school in two years. Bomadi Local Government Area,
which had only six secondary school for the period between 1979, got nine
secondary schools within two years.
Other
areas, which had many educational institutions before 1979, got more secondary
school to meet 100 per cent transition of pupils from primary to secondary
schools. Ethiope Local Government Area for example, which had ten secondary
schools before 1979, got additional 25 secondary schools Similarly Oredo Local
Government Area which had 16 secondary Schools before 1979 had additional 40
day secondary schools. Etsako Local Government Area got additional 32 secondary
schools, Ndokwa 31, Okpebho 32, Orhionmwon 43, Ovia 32, and Ughelli 39, during
the first two years of Governor Alli's administration.
The
various communities, hitherto barred by government control measures from
establishing their own secondary schools to supplement those of the government
demonstrated their support for the leadership provided by governor Alli by
building and donating blocks of classrooms to government. Therefore in less
than three years, the number of secondary schools in the state rose from 187 in
October 1979 to over 850 in 1983. School fees and entrance examinations to
secondary schools were abolished with effect from October I, 1979. This made it
possible for every pupil who had completed primary six to attend secondary
school. All these were at a time when some state in Nigeria had less than 50
secondary schools charged high fees per session as in secondary schools and
primary schools yet had problems with the payment of teachers' salaries.
It
must be stressed, however that the rationale for the establishment of day
secondary school was the need to place pupils in the secondary schools nearest
to their homes, so that while prof. Alli government make a significant cut – back
on student housing provision, enough ground is created for the release of
resources to develop learning facilities and programs for pupils to socialize
simultaneously in both school and domestic environment.
The
growth in the number of secondary school in the state stimulates a
corresponding growth in the number of tertiary educational institutions to
train teachers urgently needed for the secondary school system. Four tertiary
institutions for the training of NCE teachers were established in the state.
This was in addition to the college of education, Abraka, which was already in
existence thus bringing the number to five.
The
financial generosity of governor Alli's administration to the course of
education in the state was enormous. All students in the state’s colleges of
Education were place on special bursary. Serving teachers admitted into any of
the colleges, continued to receive their salaries in full while civil servants
similarly admitted were placed on study leave with full pay. Other who was not
in employment were given monthly allowance while in training. As govern Alli
himself once remarked, this generous financial policy was to enable all those
admitted into the colleges fend for their dependants and buy their books as
well as essential equipment. Within three years, the first set of graduates
from the four colleges of education, numbering 3,000 joined the NYSC program.
In
order to liberalize opportunities for tertiary education in the state the
government of professor Alli went further to establish two new polytechnics at
Ozoro and Ogwashi-Uku, in addition to the existing one at Auchi, five school of
agriculture to offer OND and HND courses one school of forestry and a new
university, Bendel state university now Ambrose Alli university Ekpoma, at
the apex of these institutions of higher learning. “The educational programme
of my government is a complete one starting from the primary level to the
university level,” professor Alli once gladly recalled during the ceremonies
marking the laying of the foundation stone and launching of the endowment fund
for Bendel state university (Ambrose Alli University) in March 1982. The kernel
of his philosophy of liberalized opportunity for the individual was embedded in
the concluding part of his address on that occasion: “By the
establishment of the Bendel state university {Ambrose Alli university}, we will
ensure the development of intellectual capacities of individual to understand
and appreciate their environment and the acquisition of both physical and
intellectual skill which will enable individuals to develop into useful members
of the community”. Governor Alli firmly believed that the development of
intellectual capacities of individual’s capacities could promote a more
reliable and enlightened public opinion, which could be used to plan for rapid
social and economic development.
Professor
Alli’s concept of liberalised opportunity for the individual was not confined
to the educational sector alone. Services and drugs at state-owned hospital
were free from October 1, 1979. More money was spent on the purchase of drug
than ever before. The perennial problem of shortage of doctors, especially in
the rural areas, was solved, while the hospitals recorded more patronage. In
private hospitals and clinics, delivery charges high per person whereas in
state-owned hospitals, all forms of medical care were free.
Furthermore,
the payment of flat rate tax, which, hitherto, had been the greatest threat and
source of defeat to the rural dwellers, was abolished. Flat rate tax had been
used as a tool of political oppression in past civil regimes, but professor
Alli abolished it to eliminate ones and for all, its use for negative ends. He
travelled widely in Africa and Europe and his hobbies were reading writing and
listening to music.
Professor
Alli passed away at LUTH on 22/09/89 on his 60th birthday, before his death he
was married and has four children.
PROFESSOR
AMBROS ALLI LEGACY.
He founded almost
1000 schools, four teacher training colleges, Delta State University, three
polytechnics, and numerous other educational institutions. For instance, when
Alli left office in 1983, he was responsible for founding over 10 percent of
all the schools in Nigeria at that time – built from scratch. Also, remember
that AAU (Ambrose Alli University) is the first non – federal university in
Nigeria; because Professor Alli successfully took the federal government (under
Shehu Shagari) to court to establish the right for other non – federal
universities to be accredited and opened, hence all the state & private
universities in Nigeria today. As to whether this ‘acknowledges or appreciates
his legacies enough’, perhaps you should examine the impact and depth of his
legacy – and the millions of Nigerians he has given opportunities to.
Consider the
cascade effect of all those literate people, all those graduates, all those
teachers?
