By Fred Itua
The recent attempt to romanticize the so-called “re-enactment of Obaseki’s education reforms” is not only misleading but also a desperate attempt to whitewash the failures of an administration that left behind a trail of disillusionment, deceit, and betrayal among Edo teachers. The ongoing narrative, deliberately sponsored and amplified by a few individuals nostalgic about the past government, seeks to misinform the public and distort the truth about the state of education in Edo. But facts, as always, are sacred and cannot be buried under political propaganda.
It is important to set the records straight: the Obaseki-led government did not reform education – it weaponized it for political survival. What was branded as “innovation” was, in fact, a carefully packaged illusion that crushed the hopes of hundreds of young Edo teachers who were lured into the system without proper employment letters, pension benefits, or confirmation of their civil service status for more than three years.
These teachers were not treated as professionals shaping the minds of future leaders but as expendable pawns used to score political points and project a false image of progress.
Many of these teachers have since narrated their ordeals – how they were made to attend endless training sessions, often at their own expense, without any formal recognition of their employment status. They were paraded before cameras for political optics, yet denied the dignity and benefits of legitimate work. Their story is one of emotional trauma and betrayal – people who believed they were serving their state, only to realize they had been used as instruments of propaganda.
During the build-up to the last governorship election, these same teachers were promised permanent employment and improved welfare packages if they mobilized support for the governor’s preferred candidate. But when the political tide turned, they were abandoned. The promises evaporated. The administration turned its back on them, leaving behind a demoralized and frustrated workforce struggling to survive without certainty or hope.
The much-hyped EdoBEST initiative – which Obaseki’s media machinery continues to tout as a revolutionary success – was, in truth, a hollow project. It was a case of form without substance, of digital gloss masking institutional decay. Beneath the glossy tablets, colourful banners, and choreographed PR campaigns, lay a project riddled with inconsistencies and waste. Independent reviews and insider testimonies have revealed how EdoBEST became a convenient channel for financial mismanagement under the guise of “digital learning transformation.”
The programme created an illusion of progress, while the core challenges in the education sector – decaying infrastructure, poor teacher motivation, and lack of instructional materials – persisted.
In several rural communities, pupils continued to sit on bare floors. Classrooms lacked roofs, and teachers struggled to cope with overcrowded classes. The so-called “digital tablets” distributed to a few schools became mere symbols for photo opportunities, rather than tools for real learning. Teachers were left frustrated as internet connectivity and maintenance support were non-existent. The entire project was built on presentation rather than performance, and on deception rather than development.
In truth, EdoBEST was not an innovation – it was a refurbishing of tombs whose contents were academic carcasses. No credible data ever proved that learning outcomes improved significantly under the programme. Instead, available records showed declining literacy levels and poor comprehension among pupils. The gap between rural and urban education widened, and teacher attrition increased due to poor working conditions.
Contrary to the false claim that the present administration is simply “re-enacting” Obaseki’s model, what is happening today is the exact opposite – a restoration of sanity, transparency, and meritocracy in Edo’s education system. The ongoing recruitment of teachers is anchored on merit and competence, not political patronage or godfatherism. For the first time in many years, candidates were screened through a transparent and standardized process. It was an open exercise where applicants were assessed based on qualification, teaching aptitude, and subject mastery – not on who they knew or which political camp they belonged to. All these were carefully and thoughtfully carried out before absorbing over 5000 Edostar teachers into the state civil service.
This deliberate reform is part of a broader agenda to rebuild public confidence in government employment processes and ensure that every classroom in Edo State is manned by a qualified, motivated teacher. Those who were smuggled into the system under the previous government – some without the minimum teaching qualifications – have been carefully filtered out. It is not vindictiveness; it is restoration of standards. The era of mediocrity and political favoritism in the education sector is over.
The new administration recognizes that education is the backbone of sustainable development. No serious government toys with the future of its children by reducing education to a publicity tool. Unlike the previous administration, this government is not interested in photo opportunities or social media applause. Its focus is on tangible outcomes – classrooms that are functional, teachers who are professionally trained, and pupils whose learning progress can be scientifically measured.
Today, efforts are being made to rehabilitate schools, update curricula, and retrain teachers using globally tested pedagogical methods. The emphasis is on content, not camera; on impact, not image. It is about restoring dignity to the teaching profession and returning education to its rightful place as the foundation of societal progress.
Unlike the previous administration, the current government will not sustain fraudulent legacies or reward criminality disguised as policy. The days of using development as a cover for deception are gone. The new administration’s education policy is driven by accountability, transparency, and evidence-based planning. Funds meant for schools will reach schools. Teachers will be trained, paid, and respected. Pupils will be taught, not used as backdrops for political theatre.
The truth remains that Obaseki’s so-called education reforms were built on falsehood, manipulation, and exploitation. The Edo people are no longer deceived. They saw the teachers who worked with meager pay. They saw the schools that never received the promised upgrades. They heard the testimonies of those who were betrayed after years of service. And they now see a government genuinely working to repair the ruins left behind, a government that values integrity over image, performance over propaganda, and merit over manipulation.
Where there was deceit, this government is bringing transparency.
Where there was propaganda, it is instituting progress. Where there was exploitation, it is restoring dignity to Edo’s teaching workforce.
The era of empty reforms and borrowed slogans has ended. A new dawn has begun, a new Edo has risen, one defined by truth, service, and accountability. Edo’s education sector is being rebuilt, not rebranded. And that, indeed, is the difference between the past of deception and the present of genuine reform.
Fred Itua is the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State
Discussion about this post