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| PROF. AMBROSE F. ALLI |
1929 – 1989
By Osamede Osunde, WPPJr
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.
Between
1938 and 1939, he was a pupil at the Catholic school Ekpoma. He returned to
Oka-Odo Ondo state in 1939 where he attended St. John’s (C.M.S) school until
1940. He was also a pupil of Swedenborg Memorial School (SMS) Owo and St.
Stephen’s School Efon – Alaye both in Ondo State from 1940-1943. In 1944, he
gain admission to Immaculate Conception College, Benin City and completed his
secondary school education at Patrick’s College Asaba in 1948. Other educational
institutions attended by Professor Alli are the school of agriculture Ibadan
(1948) and school of medical technology, Adeoyo Hospital Ibadan (1953-1960). in
1960, he proceeded to the United Kingdom where he did a post-graduate course in
neuro-pathology at the University of London He also studies at the university
of Birmingham from (1971-1974). Among his academic qualifications are the MBBS,
(1960), D path. (1965); D. C. Path (London), (1966), FMC. Path. (Nigeria), 1970
MRC. Path. England) (1972) and FWACP, (1975).
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.
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| PROF. AMBROSE F. ALLI |
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?
@Osamede
Osunde
editor/Publisher
