The National Association of Students in Delta State is planning to stage a mass protest over eight per cent budget allocation to education in the state in the 2019 budget. The students, in their letter to the governor, reject the eight per cent budgetary allocation to education in Delta state and called on the state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, to review the decision and work towards improving the sector.
The letter sent to the governor by NANS/JCC Delta state axis chairman, Dio Oghale Emeka Rex, asks the governor to save education in the state.
“Your Excellency Sir, it is very disheartening to realise that only eight per cent of the 2019 budget was allocated to education as against the 26 per cent minimum allocation for education recommended by UNESCO. We humbly wish to demand Your Excellency’s prompt actions to save education in Delta state.
“Your Excellency, Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world with about 13 million children being out of school. Poverty has been identified as the major reason for this outrageous figure. The government is expected to be seen taking deliberate steps to improve on education.
“The leadership of Nigerian students in Delta state, therefore, rejects in totality, such meagre allocation to education. It is not acceptable to us and we shall resist it by all means possible. We, therefore, demand an upward review of the budget allocated to education in the 2019 budget by Your Excellency,” the students said.
The students also demanded that the governor declared a state of emergency on education and adopt free education policy in public basic and secondary schools in the state.
