Rising from its maiden meeting, the National Economic Council (NEC) Thursday said steps were being taken to outlaw the almajiri system of education which makes youngsters vulnerable to crimes and criminalities.
This, it said, was one of the key measures to addressing the lingering security challenges in the northern part of the country.
The federal government’s position is coming barely twenty-four hours after Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state warned that parents who failed to send their wards to school would be prosecuted. He also said same on early marriage.
FG’s position
Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, National Security Adviser (NSA) Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) said the almajiri system of education was a time bomb for the country.
He said the system of education had reached an alarming situation that government must take a drastic step to halt it.
“I have briefed council of the danger of the almajiri phenomenon. We can’t continue to have street urchins roaming around unchecked. You need to deal with this issue of almajiri. Irrespective of what people may feel, we must have to face reality,” he said.
The NSA said the government would proscribe the Almajiri phenomenon because Nigeria could not continue to have street children roaming around only for them in a couple of years or decades to become a problem to the society.
He said the federal government would work with the state governors to enforce the policy of education for every child as education was the entitlement of every child.
Monguno said he also briefed NEC on the crisis between herdsmen and farmers which were limited to 16 states so far, adding that the council was working on a blueprint to solve the problem.
“I briefed council also on the menace of pipeline vandalism, illegal oil refineries and piracy. In recent month, were able to destroy 373 illegal refineries quad curtailed the activities of pirates.
“This situation in the Niger Delta is also affecting security in the Gulf of Guinea and we have been collaborating with the secretariat in Luanda to work to reduce the activities of these people,’’ he said.
to outlaw the almajiri system of education that is making youngsters vulnerable to crimes and criminalities as one of the key measures to address the lingering security challenges in the northern part of the country.
Buhari to govs on education
Inaugurating the committee Thursday, President Muhammadu Buhari had said state governors should make primary education the centrepiece of their administration.
President Buhari said to neglect teachers or failing to provide teaching materials clearly amounts to aiding and abetting crime.
He also said henceforth, it has become a crime for parents not to send their children to school.
The president said this at the inauguration of the National Economic Council (NEC) for the year 2019-2023 at the State House in Abuja.
The president also said the NEC, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, should pay special attention to security, education, agriculture and health.
“On education, 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 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,” he said.
The president urged governors to mobilise local government chairmen in their various states to provide the needed materials and teachers for basic education, at the minimum.
“This is, therefore, a call to action. I would like to see every governor rise from this meeting and rally his local government chairmen towards ensuring that our schools offer the right opportunities and provide the needed materials and teachers for basic education, at the minimum. If we are able to do this, the benefits will surely manifest themselves.
“Ensuring proper education during the first nine years of schooling means that our children start off their lives with some discipline and education. They will be safeguarded from roaming the streets, and protected from all the evil influences that assail idle hands and idle minds.
“Whatever they choose to do thereafter, children with basic education will be better prepared to learn and to appreciate their own role in society. This will also go a long way in solving our security and other anti-social problems, which are often the manifestations of early delinquency. I therefore think every governor here should make a firm commitment to be personally involved in ensuring that every child of school age actually goes to school throughout the crucial nine years of basic education,” he said.
The president said the federal government would expand its school feeding programme in order to encourage school enrolment.
“On our own part, the federal government will strive to extend the school feeding programme which will not only encourage school enrolment but also enhance the health and learning capabilities of pupils. We will also assist States as much as possible to access the counterpart funding provided by UBEC for the development of basic education.”
…Wants VAT, IGR increased
Also speaking on boosting the states and nation’s economic base, President asked the governors to find ways of increasing their internally generated revenue, promote agriculture and shore up their Value Added Tax (VAT).
He said the success of the council in the four critical areas would go a long way in enhancing the living standard of the citizenry.
While reiterating the commitment of his administration to protect the country’s territory, the president said everybody must contribute in addressing the security challenges facing the country.
“While the federal government has primary responsibility for security and will not shy away from it, the states also have a critical role to play; in particular Your Excellencies as state governors. You can definitely make a difference, not just by assisting the security agencies in your respective states, but also by keenly pursuing policies and programmes that forestall communal, tribal, religious and societal conflicts; policies and programmes that promote education, information, dispute resolution, vocational training and youth employment.
“I have no doubt that if these four areas – security, education, health and agriculture – are actively implemented and closely monitored by NEC and the Governors’ Forum, we shall in the near future see a more peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.
“The federal government in the last four years has demonstrated unwavering inclusiveness in dealing with every state, notwithstanding the political leaning of the governor or the predominant party in power at the state level. I want this to be your model at the state level. No matter which party we belong to, let us shun divisive policies and join hands together for the upliftment of our people.
“Going forward, states must in the next four years find ways to increase internally generated revenues, improve VAT collection and increase agricultural output without disrupting business activities. I also want you to work with the federal agencies and the service providers in ensuring that broadband infrastructure is made available all over the country. Information and Communication Technology is the future of work and we must not allow ourselves to be left behind,” he said.
The president said Nigerians expected much from the council as a veritable source of articulating policies and programmes expected to drive growth and development, secure the environment and take the country to the next level.
“The challenges that confront us in the next few years, especially in the areas of security, human capital development and employment for our youths are monumental and historic. But we are more than equal to the task,” he said.
Also speaking, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the NEC was an important body for developing, advising and implementing issues relating to the country’s economy.
The NEC was established by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
By virtue of Section 153 and paragraph 18 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution, NEC has the mandate to advise the president on economic policy of the country and in particular, co-ordination of the economic planning efforts, and programmes of the three tiers of government.
The council had in the last four years held 38 meetings and set up 10 ad-hoc committees to address various issues of national concern.
In the course of its deliberations, it came up with a total of 173 resolutions, cutting across eight areas, namely; agriculture and solid minerals; investments promotion and industrialisation; monetary and fiscal stability and infrastructure.
NEC on banditry
Also, the Osinbajo-led NEC set up a security and policing committee to address the current challenges of banditry, kidnapping and cultism in some parts of the country.
Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu said this while briefing journalists at the end of the council’s meeting. .
He said another key issue discussed at the NEC meeting was revisiting the safer city initiative which entailed the installation of CCTV cameras in Abuja and other major cities in the country.
He said: “It was as a result of human intelligence that we got from members of the public that made us achieve the feat in stabilising security situation in the country.
“This came under the strategic cooperation that we came up with which we called `Operation Puff Adder’ and within the framework of that operation a lot of kidnapping suspects were arrested; a lot of arms were recovered and this we succeeded in with the cooperation from members of the public.
“The council concluded that a security and policing committee should be set up; so, it has been set up. Membership includes the governors of Ekiti state, Bayelsa state, Ebonyi state, Kastina state, Kogi state and Borno state; they will be joined by the National Security Adviser, the IG-P and the defence staff or his representative.
“Part of the strategy to deal with the security situation and to prevent crime I presented is to bring back the `Safer City’ concept where all our major cities are fixed with CCTV, the project has been going on but now we resuscitated the programme and we have started with FCT.
“Within our command and control office, we are able to put some cameras at strategic places in FCT with a view to reviving this safer city initiative; we have written to state governors also asking the state governors to key into that strategy so that major cities within the state also have CCTV coverage. The latest technology we are brining on will cost little or nothing to the government.”
