For long, the dearth of it among citizens hampered the country’s march to progress and gave rise to, and sustain, its state of underdevelopment. But, after the unnecessary delay, President Muhammadu Buhari said it is a crime for parents to refuse to send their children to school.
The president spoke while inaugurating the National Economic Council (NEC) at the State House in Abuja.
To make his point clear on the issue of education, the president said: “I want to stress in particular the need to take very seriously and enforce very rigorously the statutory provisions of free and compulsory basic education. Section 18 (3) of the Nigerian constitution places on of all of us here an obligation to eradicate illiteracy and provide compulsory basic education.
“Section 2 of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act provides that every Government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age.
“It is indeed a crime for any parent to keep his child out of school for this period. In my view, when a government fails to provide the schools, teachers and teaching materials necessary for basic education, it is actually aiding and abetting that crime.”
And, speaking authoritatively, the president called on the governors of the 36 states of the federation to mobilise their councils chairmen to ensure that schools offer the right opportunities and provide the needed materials and teachers for basic education.
So, the governors and local government chairmen must answer the call of the president mainly because it is only with disciplined and educated citizens the country can fight the current rampant poverty in our midst, stop kids (almajirai) from roaming the streets and protect them from “evil influences that assail idle hands and idle minds.”
And, like the president said, educated children are better prepared to appreciate their own role in society and contribute to its development, rather than constitute themselves into security threats and social problems.
Of course, it should be observed that education is more than just learning how to read, write or calculate. The Latin origin of the word itself is to lead somebody out. A person’s right to education incorporates opportunities and access to primary, secondary and tertiary education. The human right to education as prescribed in the International Bill of Human Rights of the United Nations refers to free education in the elementary and fundamental stages.
Education is internationally recognised as a human right. It is the great liberator which lifts people out of poverty and fuels economic growth with social justice, especially in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy.
Every child has the right to education, training and information, and to other fundamental human rights dependent upon realisation of the right to education.
The rationale of the right to education is a system whereby education is free at the point of use, on the basis of entitlement rather than ability to pay. The human rights obligation of governments to fund education adequately should ensure that parents would do not have to pay for their children’s schooling nor have their children remain deprived of education when they cannot afford the cost.
Regrettably, the issue of cost, in most cases, stop parents from sending their children to school. Of course, this is without regard to the fact that governments are supposed to provide education and make it compulsory for parents to send children to school.
But the reason for this governments’ failure is simple – corruption. For too long and for illegal reasons, government officials elect to spend on areas that tend to undermine education and boost their private pockets.
They know, like we all do, that education provides individual with more control over the course of his or her life and, in particular, control over the effect of the state’s actions on the individual. In other words, exercising an empowerment right such as education enables a person to experience the benefits of other rights.
The enjoyment of many civil and political rights, such as the freedom of information, the freedom of expression, the right to vote and to be elected and many others, depends on, at least, a minimum level of education.
Similarly, a number of economic, social and cultural rights such as the right to choose work, to receive equal pay for equal work, to enjoy the benefits of scientific and technological progress and to receive higher education on the basis of capacity, can only be exercised in a meaningful way after a minimum level of education has been achieved.
The same holds true for the right to take part in cultural life. For ethnic and linguistic minorities, the right to education is an essential means to preserve and strengthen their cultural identity. Education can also promote, though it does not guarantee, understanding, tolerance, respect and friendship among ethnic or religious groups and can help in creating a universal human rights culture.
The denial as well as the violations of the right to education damage people’s capacity to develop their own personalities, to sustain and protect themselves and their families and to take part adequately in social, political and economic life.
There’s no doubt, that the denial of education, especially at this difficult times Nigeria is passing through, can harm the country’s cause of democracy and social progress and, by extension, peace and human security. The right to know one’s human rights through education and learning can make a vital contribution to the country’s security and stem the tide of corruption at the official quarters.
On autonomy for state legislature, judiciary…
It is the view of President Muhammadu Buhari, and many Nigerians as well, that granting of autonomy to legislature and judiciary at the state level would strengthen our country’s democracy and deepen inclusiveness of citizens.
And, yes…the action will help in fight against corruption which the president sees as the bane of the country’s development, credible election, good governance and leadership.
Receiving the Report of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Financial Autonomy of State Legislature and Judiciary in Abuja, the president said autonomy of the state legislature and the judiciary is one of his topmost priorities considering its endless benefits for the society.
“I went through a terrible time getting here, (presidency) three times I contested elections,” the president said. “That’s why I want to stabilise the system so that others will not pass through the same experience. Both young and ordinary Nigerians depend on leadership to ensure justice is always done. So we must ensure that trust is not compromised.”
Speaking on the issue of the recent directive given by the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) barring state governments from tampering with local governments’ allocations, the president that’s a welcome development.
“It is even long overdue, Nigerians had long expected this to happen considering the flagrant abuse of the council funds by state governors for some years now,” he said.
It’s no secret that for many years, governors used the local governments’ funds the way they liked and criminally neglected development at the grassroots, thereby rendering the third tier of government, which is recognised by the 1999 Constitution, ineffective and inefficient.
The same fate afflicted legislature, which makes laws, often on the directive of governors, and the judiciary at the state level, thereby creating a situation where justice was compromised.
In the case of the local governments, they have ceased to be the centres of grassroots development that they were conceived to be as the money devoted for their ideal operations were pocketed by governors.
It is on this note, therefore, that the promise of no going back on the issue of autonomy for the state legislature and judiciary can be seen and appreciated. It is, indeed, a progressive step to bring financial autonomy for the emasculated and deprived institutions.
The decision of the federal government was apparently informed by the long years of illegal misappropriation of the funds allocated to local governments and, of course, the threats that emanated from the compromised institutions for the country’s democracy.
Regardless of what necessitated the decision, the fact remains that the emasculation of the judiciary and operations of the states’ legislature led to compromise of several governance issues among which is stealing of local government funds that, ultimately, created, strengthen and promote corruption, money laundering and insecurity at the state level and weaken democracy and economy of the country.
However, the federal government should go beyond talking and issuing order to making sure governments at the state level do the things they were asked to do. Of course, it’s pleasing to note that the president has reiterated his resolve to make the maligned institutions autonomous and, thus, improve good governance at the state level.
Still, knowing how minds of average politicians in the work, devilishly, there is the urgent need to amend any law that may affect the implementation of the planned reforms so as not to encourage interested persons to legally challenge such laudable law.
