The Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, on Monday, expressed commitment to mitigate the impact of insecurity on basic and secondary education in the country by ensuring sufficient appropriation.
The Vice Chairman of the committee, Sen. Akon Eyakenyi (PDP), representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District gave the assurance when she led members of the committee on an oversight function to the FCT Universal Basic Education Board.
Eyakenyi lamented that schools were grossly affected by the security challenges bedeviling the country, adding that students and teachers were being kidnapped every day.
“How do we handle it, how do we provide safety for them in terms of fencing of the schools and ensuring we have security operatives guarding the schools.
” So, if we don’t move out to identify the needs of various schools, there is no way we will know how to tailor appropriations to fit in to handle such situations; those were some of the things we are coming to observe.
“We are responsible for sighting on educational agencies, which Universal Basic Education happened to be one of them.
‘Today we are in the Federal Capital Territory Universal Basic Education Board for one of such responsibilities.
“We felt as a duty given to us, we must also come to observe and see what is going on and how it is being handled.”
The lawmaker said that the foundation of education was very important which UBEB was responsible for.
” If the foundation is faulty, then everything cannot work. Therefore, the role of UBEB is most important. The education we all know is the bedrock of every good thing.
” When we fail in that, the nation fails. How do we go about this; we must ensure that the infrastructure that the students and teachers need is there.
“We must also ensure that the population of students and teachers we have are according to the principle. This, at the end of the day when it is properly written and stored in the data bank, will help us to identify the number of people we have.
“The number of teachers that we have, the infrastructure that we have in the various schools it will help the legislatures to do proper appropriation.
“You don’t just budget but you also ensure that it is tailored to the need of the schools and the people.”
Responding, the Executive Chairman of FCT UBEB, Dr. Alhassan Sule, emphasised the need for the government to ensure that every child was given the opportunity to acquire basic education.
According to him, where parents fail to provide basic education for their children, such parents should be fined.
“My little observation from the Boko Haram terrorist when I was in captivity; what I think they lack is quality education.
“Because Boko Haram have misconception and wrong ideology about western education that is why they said they are Boko Haram.
“Therefore, we need to ensure that with the introduction of basic and free education we must ensure that every child is given that opportunity,” Sule said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee visited Federal Government Boys College, Abuja, and GAAT International School for oversight functions.
The visits to evaluate the ongoing 2022 Personal Auditing being carried by the Universal Education Commission in conjunction with the Universal Basic Education Board. (NAN)
