Prioritizing education to ‘subsidize’ corruption (1)
If there are no ulterior motives, for instance, behind the acclaimed “priority” given to education in the budget; how comes only N60 billion of the N426.53 billion would be spent on capital projects given the dilapidated state of structures (where they exist) in schools across the country? The picture of the blocks of classrooms at […]
If there are no ulterior motives, for instance, behind the acclaimed “priority” given to education in the budget; how comes only N60 billion of the N426.53 billion would be spent on capital projects given the dilapidated state of structures (where they exist) in schools across the country? The picture of the blocks of classrooms at the Central Pilot Primary School Akwanga in Nasarawa State on the front page of Daily Trust edition of Monday October 8, 2012 is indeed an eyesore; depicting government neglect not only of education but of the rights and needs of the Nigerian child.
The front page of Daily Trust edition of Tuesday October 16, 2012 also carried a picture of pupils listening to their teacher in a make-shift classroom made from corn stalks and leaves at the Tsakuwa Primary School in Lau Local Government of Taraba State. Another picture on page 16 of Daily Trust edition of Wednesday October 17, 2012 shows pupils sitting on bare floor at the Gangare Primary School in Jos, Plateau State. The obvious message from the inexcusable scenes presented by these pictures can be implied. It shows government’s lack of genuine commitment to the all important sector, education.
The same government which plans to spend N7.5 million on “emergency” repair of schools in the north-central has budgeted N1.16 billion on anniversaries & celebrations (including N5million for Commonwealth celebrations and N3million for annual Children’s Day celebration). Is it not an irony that N8million (an amount higher than the paltry N7.5million budgeted for repair of schools) would be spent on just two anniversary celebrations? Of course, the Federal Ministry of Education knows that repair of classroom structures is more critical than anniversary celebrations to teaching and learning processes in schools. Yet, it prioritized anniversary celebrations over repair of schools. Maybe, government is thrilled at spending N8million on celebrations for pupils when the same school children for whom the celebrations are organized take lessons under trees or use mosques as classrooms as obtains in parts of Zamfara state.
This single act of appropriating to misappropriate only suggests how, through budget proposals, government officials prioritize education (in budget proposals) to ‘subsidize’ corruption. This insinuation even becomes more plausible when the proposal by the Federal Ministry of Education to spend N100.8 million on stationery/ computer consumables; N42.1 million on welfare packages and refreshment; and N10.6 million on meals are all put in to perspectives. But how could you fault Federal Ministry of Education for proposing over ten million naira on meals when the Aso Rock Presidential villa has budgeted N1.553 billion on feeding in the 2013 budget?
Indeed, the Federal Ministry of Education like many other ministries has, rather than being a co-coordinating stakeholder committed to alleviating the educational plight of the Nigerian child, been turned by unpatriotic and corrupt Nigerians in to a conduit pipe for siphoning public funds. If government were truly serious about improving the state of education in the country, substantial part of the allocation to education in the 2013 budget would have been ear-marked for providing the basic infrastructural facilities needed for effective teaching and learning to take place.
It is ridiculous that most of these schools which physical structures are crying for attention have and are still being used as venues for political rallies during elections; as relief camps for victims of disasters (as witnessed in the recent floods that ravaged parts of the country); as transit camps for intending pilgrims; and as venues for community meetings. Yet, these services do not appeal to the conscience of leaders particularly political office holders (elected and appointed). They, of course, profited from the benefits of these facilities even in their dilapidated state more than any other actor. This neglect orchestrated by insensitive leaders in recent times rendered education as the most critical casualty of bad governance in Nigeria.
In the last three years, the federal government claims to have spent N18 billion (N5 billion in 2010; N6 billion in 2011; and N7 billion in 2012) on the provision of free text books to pupils in basic schools across the country. My children attend public schools and they have never come home with a copy of such “free” text books from school even though this may not be good enough to dismiss the claim by government. The question still remains; why are the books not found in the hands of the majority of pupils they were produced for? Instead, the few copies produced find their ways to Onitsha market soon after commissioning by the Minister of Education. A staff of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) was recently arrested in connection with copies of such free books that were found at an Onitsha bookstore.
The second part of this discourse continues next week, insha Allah. May Allah (SWT) guide our leaders to realize the place of education in the country’s effort to achieve greatness and self reliance, amin.