Prospects of Washington Osifo revamping education in Edo State.

On the 18th of August 2026, Dr. Washington Osifo was sworn in as the new Commissioner for Education in Edo State. As soon as he assumed office, there was ecstatic buzz everywhere in the state that at last a messiah has come to revamp education in the state.

Yes, several people believe that Dr. Washington Osifo possesses the Midas touch of education reengineering. Well, I beg to differ. No one single man can make education work in Edo State, including even the governor, Distinguished Senator Monday Okpebolo.

Indeed, giving Edo State people a functional education system is a multi-stakeholder enterprise. The governor, his deputy, head of service, secretary to the state government, members of Edo State Executive Council, lawmakers, National Union of Teachers, as well as several other persons and institutions must support Dr. Washington Osifo to succeed. Otherwise, he will fail to enhance education in the state.

Only God has the omnipotence to actualize his goal unaided, and Osifo knows he is not God. Hence, he has started to reach out to all stakeholders in the state's education industry value chain. For instance, he has smartly partnered with all the new 18 local government chairmen in the state to clear the grown weeds in the premises of public schools. In addition, he has held a meeting with private school proprietors in the state, while similar engagements with other stakeholders are expected soon.

What is more, he is going round media houses announcing his mandate and some policy direction of his education ministry with combative argument as well as conversations.

On September 13th, 2026, Osifo was on the People Talk to People program of Independent Radio Benin. During it, he bemoaned the dearth of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and English teachers in public schools.

He lamented the scrapping of PTA levies in state schools, which is responsible for why weeds overtook their premises. From the way he spoke, there is the expectation that the levies will return, with full-proof mechanism in place to ensure transparency in their disbursement. Also, he vowed to stop the incidents of teachers rejecting transfer to rural areas.

Certainly, he was vocally impressive on radio. But for me in particular, I told myself not to believe in his talk, which I consider as empty braggadocio, and recall that it was such mouthfuls of radio talk that endeared me to him as a Commissioner for Education in Oshiomhole's administration. So, I decided to offer him some tips for success in his work.

The day I chose to visit him coincided with his appearance on Man Around Town program of Independent Radio Benin, in response to an observation raised by Mr. Efe Osafonmwan, moderator of the program. He emphatically stated that no blade of grass was now standing in the premises of his ministry at Iyaro, Benin City.

He agreed that the ministry was earlier overtaken by weeds, however they have all been cleared. Well, his assertion was a blatant lie. On entry the gates of the ministry, I still saw grown weeds on the left side of the gates. Of course, this experience shocked me. Quickly, I passed the gate and walked gingerly to his secretary's office, where I was cleared immediately to meet Dr. Washington Osifo.

No waste of time on knowing my mission. On entry to Osifo's office, I met a sad male visitor sitting on a chair of his conference table with whom i exchange greetings. Thereafter, I greeted Osifo, who was ensconced on a settee with a friend discussing in low tones. He replied in a manner as if my greetings interrupted the flow of their discussions. Then, he asked for my mission, which I told him. He made no comment. So, I sat down to begin a waiting game that seemed like eternity. Later, a distraught female teacher entered the office, greeted Osifo and explained that she was there on his invitation.

He merely acknowledged her presence and continued his conversation. Meanwhile, we waited, hoping that he will meet us. He never did. After about an hour, he and his friend got up and began to walk away. The three of us followed behind at a safe distance to outside his office. To our surprise, they drove off, ignoring us.

After this encounter with Osifo, I lost faith in his ability to manage the Ministry of Education.

Once beaten, twice shy, a case of first cut being the deepest. At this juncture, can one say that a new transformative Osifo is now on the saddle? All ways are gone. All ways are gone. A reborn Osifo is now Commissioner of Education. Maybe Damascus' experience has made him to adopt open-door policy.

Another issue that needs to be addressed is whether the Education Commissioner cap fits Osifo. I don't think so. Why? I always hold the view that the Commissioner of Education job in the state must always be given to a professional, a professional in the education industry, just as a certified lawyer is handed the office of Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

Comparatively, it is only a thoroughbred educationist who has the passion, emotion, insight, intuition, instinct, sensibilities and practical experience that should manage the education sector in a profitable way, as directed by Socratic wisdom in educational matters.

Methinks, it is only such a well-cured professional educationist that will possess the clairvoyance capability to read the mind of the educational sector and properly chart the organic path to its futuristic sustainable development. In fact, if I had my way, I would recommend an expert with a bias in education management for the job of Commissioner for Education, not just anyone brandishing a degree or a professional qualification in education.

See, my reasoning is not outlandish. The NUT, ANCOPSS, NLC and the Association of Primary School Teachers at a meeting in Benin City on March 3rd, 2013, gave a 21-day ultimatum to Governor Adams Oshiomhole to appoint a professional teacher as Commissioner for Education in Edo State, among other demands as the way forward for revamping education in the state.

This request was made 13 years ago when Osifo was in office as Education Commissioner. Why is Governor Okpebholo now bringing him back as a Commissioner for Education? Does it mean the governor takes the advice of four major trade unions in the state for granted? Let me clarify my position on Osifo to avoid misunderstanding. I resonate with his academia stubbornness, courage, Hegelian dialectics, zeal to reposition education in the state, and doggedness.

Also, I admire his boldness in speaking truth to power as a member of Edo State Executive Council, just like Prince Kasim Afegbua.

Therefore, he deserves to be a Commissioner in Edo State, given also his academic background as a logician and a person who scientifically allows studies, factual investigations to determine his decisions. Very good. However, it is my view that the Education Ministry is not cut out for him to display these sound qualities of him. He should be deployed elsewhere where he can fly.

Now, let us assume Osifo is retained in the Ministry of Education. What are his prospects of saving our education industry? They are very slim. His memo presentations on education reforms to the State Executive Council need to be approved before he can act on the reforms. Again, let us assume that he has got the clearance to carry out the reforms. Will he get the funds from the governor to implement them? Ability to approve projects is not the same ability to release funds for them. It's a common civil service hackney physiology.

Osifo knows this red bureaucratism too well. As Commissioner for Higher Education during the tenure of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, he appeared before Edo House of Assembly on November 5, 2013 to present his scorecard, as requested by the lawmakers.

Here is what he revealed to the House: Capital expenditure of 15 billion naira was appropriated by the Assembly in the 2013 budget for his ministry, but only 1.9 billion was released to it. Recurrent expenditure was 5 billion, but the ministry only received 2 billion. Overheads of the ministry approved by the lawmakers was 180 million. However, the governor gave the ministry 58 million. Invariably, Osagie did not get as much funds he requested for running the Ministry of Education, which experienced a strategic funding gap of over 20 billion naira.

Therefore, how do you expect Osifo to perform well then as a Commissioner of Education? When Oshiomhole could not even fully release money to meet the ministry's recurrent expenditure?

The lesson here is that if the public want Osifo to succeed as a Commissioner of Education, Okpebholo must back him, or any professional educationist, on the seat with sufficient funds as approved by the Assembly. Well, I don't see this policy implemented until Metuselah returns.