The Osun State Government has blamed the continued closure of special needs boarding schools across the state on the alleged withholding of local government allocations by the Federal Government and the freezing of state government accounts over a debt dispute.
The Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole, disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing journalists at the School for the Handicapped in Osogbo, explaining that the financial challenges had affected the government’s ability to provide essential services for students with disabilities.
According to Eluwole, Osun State operates 10 special needs boarding schools where students receive free accommodation and meals. He said the schools depend on funds from local government allocations to provide feeding and other welfare services, adding that the allocations had allegedly been withheld since February 2025.
The commissioner explained that the situation had been worsened by the freezing of state government accounts following a court judgment obtained by a contractor over debts allegedly incurred by the previous administration.
Eluwole said the financial constraints had made it difficult for the government to sustain feeding and other essential services for students residing in the school hostels, despite efforts to meet its salary obligations.
“Everybody knows that Osun State local government allocation has been withheld since February last year, and that is where the provision for the catering of these schools comes from. Accounts of the state government have also been frozen by the bank as a result of debt owed by the previous administration,” he said.
He noted that teachers remained at their duty posts despite the disruption, adding that they had pledged to make up for the academic time lost when normal school activities resumed.
The commissioner appealed to the Federal Government to release the withheld local government allocations, arguing that the funds were necessary to restore the operation of the schools and address the welfare needs of the students.
The prolonged closure has raised concerns about the educational rights and well-being of children with disabilities who depend on specialised learning environments and residential care.
Beyond classroom instruction, special needs boarding schools provide essential services, including accommodation, meals and daily support for students who may require additional assistance. A prolonged interruption could therefore affect their learning, nutrition, social development and overall welfare.
The development highlights the potential impact of intergovernmental funding disputes and financial constraints on access to education for children with disabilities.
However, the commissioner did not specify when the schools were shut or provide a timeline for their reopening, leaving uncertainty over when affected students would be able to return to normal academic activities.
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