By Kudu Mohammed Aliyu
Education is the heart of any nation. It supplies every sector of society, and once sick it affects the entire facets of the society. In fact, the levels of education to society create a conscious and enlightened citizen who has brighter ideas for National Development. Education of the citizens is the guarantee for Peace, Unity, Equity and Justice.
One of the great forces that bring people together as one is education. In education there is no discrimination, but merit. A country with well education citizens can simply build itself a united nation of people irrespective of creed, colour, sex, religion or any other primordial sentiments. The greatest instrument of National Development is provision of qualitative education to the present and future generations.
Having briefly high lightened the importance of education to the present and future generations, we need to know what is eroding the importance of this sector to our society. Firstly, leadership problem: After the exit of Prof. Ruqquayat Rufai, there has been a glaring vacuum which is yet to be filled, not because the so-called supervising minister is not on ground but his attitude towards policy issues appears more of a militant than a democrat and a technocrat. Secondly, inadequate funding of education by government: This is a serious problem affecting the provision of qualitative education to Nigerian citizens which is a pre-requisite to national development.
In view of the above, the importance of education to national development, one would assume that a responsible government of any nation should take a ministry that looks after education most seriously.
Unfortunately, for the first time in the History of Nigeria, the ministry of education has no minister which has led to protracted industrial action by some sectors of education for seven months. One needs not to be told how this had affected the education of our youth.
Before one is appointed as a supervisor such a person must have knowledge of what he asked to supervise, so as to make corrections if any. Situation where 80 percent of the person “in-charge” is already in his state for governorship, the remaining 20 percent is too small to handle such an important and sensitive ministry like that of education.
Kudu Mohammed Aliyu, Federal Polytechnic, Bida.
