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Strategic Development Of Education Sector In Lagos State, By ABUBAKAR YUSUF
The Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration in Lagos state has given hope to the hopeless with education as the bedrock of the society, as well as one of the core mandate of social services to ordinary Nigerians, in view of the desire of the country to meeting up the SDGs Goals.
Before the inception of the present administration, education in Lagos state was in shambles and sorry state, with the private schools cashing in on the inability of the public schools to carry out it’s statutory functions from payments of salaries, infrastructural development, personel development and quality education for the children of the ordinary Nigerians and Lagosians, as the private schools charged exorbitant and astronomical fees that could not be contained by poor citizens.
Since the primary duty of government and leadership is to provide affordable health services, education, job creation among many others, the current administration of Sanwo-Olu designed a well thought out template to drive the educational curriculum and programs of Lagos state.
This was geared towards nipping in the bud , out of school children compounded by both natural and artificial occurrences, not encouraged by the global economic and health challenges bedeviling the third world countries, with Lagos not in exception.
Sanwo-Olu kicked the ground running through the introduction of free and compulsory education both at the primary and secondary school levels, a system abandoned and enjoyed more than three decades during the first republic of Obafemi Awolowo/Jakande administration in the old western region and second republic.
Reintroducing the old education legacies by Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat administration became a rallying point for primary and secondary school students without discrimination, extraction or identity to access quality education in the present Lagos state.
This had increased enrollments into the elementary levels of primary and the intermediate levels of secondary schools, with free for all text books and other relevant materials provided both for the students of all levels of education in the state.
The Governor embarked on massive infrastructural rejuvenation and development by carrying out wholistic renovation of schools from primary to secondary as well construction of over 10,000 primary and secondary schools building to give the the two levels of education a new look , so as to create an enabling environment to competing favourably with the private ones and discouraged exodus of pupils from the two levels of education from the public to the private schools.
Inline with the Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC curriculum, the state government had embarked on massive trainings and re-trainings of both academic and non academic staffs of schools and paid counterpart funding to UBEC up to date, unlike the lackluster attitude of some states towards not accessing the funds .
Since primary and Secondary education is the foundation of both tertiary and higher education, the decision of Lagos state government under Babajide Sanwo-Olu/ Hamzat to fund the two levels cannot be overemphasized, as the good decision taken by the present administration had improved the foundation level of education in Lagos state.
The government’s huge investments in education running into trillions had relived the confidence reposed on public schools to the improvement and betterment of our society, particularly with the reintroduction of free education witnessed during the first and second republic of Awolowo/Lateef Jakande’s administration.
The replication, reintroduction, rebranding and rejigging of the policies of free education had encouraged the education stakeholders into taking the business of education in Lagos state as top priority.
With a solid foundation, the efficacy of the tertiary and university education was no longer uphill, with the introduction of programs and policies that had encouraged mass development of tertiary education sector by reducing the tuition fees of students across Colleges of Education, Polytechnics, School of Nursing, and the State Universities among many others.
The establishment of the Lagos state University of Science and Technology LASUSTECH at the critical period of economic downturn, financial crunch among many others showed the level of commitment of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat administration towards bequeathing a sound education to the cosmopolitan Lagos state.
The huge investments running into trillions from the Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and University Education had placed education in the public service competing more favorably with the privately owned institutions, hence reducing and bridging the gap between the rich and the poor in the society in the area of assessment of social services across the state and the country at large.
With such gigantic investments and achievements recorded overtime of four years, no doubt, the current administration when re-elected will stabilized it’s policies and programs towards a repositioned education system in Lagos.
The newly established LASUSTECH under the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat will not only create unequal job opportunities, but opened up both enterpreneurial and empowerment as well as skill development outlets for ordinary Nigerians and Lagosians.
According to the general adage and beliefs, Sanwo-Olu’s investments in education had justified the popular saying that “If you think Education is costly ,try ignorance.”
The seamless position of the present administration through all round development of education sector and free education policy had returned the sector to it’s lost glory.
All hands must be on deck to re-elect the Lagos state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu/ Hamzat to ensure continuity of people oriented programs and policies.
Written By ABUBAKAR YUSUF and can be reached on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
The Confederation of All Progressives Congress (APC) Support Group (CASG) and Concerned Nigerian Citizens for Justice and Sovereignty have condemned what they describe as a coordinated campaign by US federal agencies targeting President Bola Tinubu, warning that such actions threaten Nigeria’s sovereignty and democratic integrity.
Engr Muhammed Kailani, Director General of the groups in a statement
issued on Wednesday, accusing the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of orchestrating a “politically engineered witch-hunt” against Tinubu.
He described the actions as an affront to Nigeria’s democracy.
“President Tinubu was elected to lead, not to be distracted by foreign conspiracies or trial by media,” Kailani said.
“The world must respect our sovereignty and our right to choose our leaders without external intimidation.”
The groups pointed to the recent release of decades-old documents by US agencies as evidence of a deliberate attempt to tarnish Tinubu’s reputation and undermine the will of Nigerians, who elected him in the 2023 presidential election.
The vote, widely regarded as free and fair, saw Tinubu emerge as the country’s leader despite longstanding allegations that have never been substantiated in court.
“This sudden rush to dredge up old documents is nothing short of a politically motivated attack,” Kailani added.
“Nigeria is a sovereign nation, not a satellite state to be dictated to by foreign intelligence bodies acting on behalf of interest groups.”
He called on the FBI and associated agencies to “immediately halt this charade,” warning that continued actions could be interpreted as foreign interference in Nigeria’s domestic politics.
The groups also raised concerns about the timing of the allegations, suggesting they were fuelled by “politically biased actors” seeking to destabilise the country.
The brand new magnificent Enugu State International Conference Centre was the venue of the 14th Chief Emeka Anyaoku Lecture Series on Good Governance with the theme “The Imperative Of Good Governance: Nigeria in a Global Comparative Perspective”, and organised by the Board of Youth Affairs International Foundation.
The event was a Spectacle of immense didactic importance with great minds in attendance. The Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku was the Star of the day, the former Military Governor of the Old Imo State, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Major General Ike Nwachukwu was the Chairman of the event, and Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari was the Guest Speaker at the event where the Performing Governor of Enugu State Dr Peter Mbah amongst other Esteemed Guests stood in honour of a nonagenarian whose life is a testament of dignity, integrity and discipline.
At the event, the Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, described Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State as an epitome of good governance, noting that the Governor was genuinely and quietly transforming Enugu State.
Chief Emeka Anyaoku was clear and unambiguous in his appraisal of the Enugu State Governor as a visionary, and that Peter Mbah’s leadership style works for the speedy development of the State. Anyaoku was emphatic that the spate of development in Enugu State under Governor Peter Mbah, would become the norm should Nigeria have a genuine Federal Constitution that engenders True Fiscal Federalism.
The Super Diplomat whilst speaking at the 14th Chief Emeka Anyaoku Lecture Series on Good Governance hosted in his honour at the Enugu State International Conference Centre on Tuesday, was unequivocal in his praise of the Enugu State Governor, hear him, “Allow me the privilege of describing him (Governor Peter Mbah) as a truly performing Governor. Yesterday, I was given glimpses of projects that have either been completed or in active progress towards completion. I saw, for example, this magnificent International Conference Centre. I saw an array of CNG Buses at Okpara Square. I saw the Smart Green Schools, which I gather that the Governor’s plan is to replicate in every Electoral Constituency (Wards), and I learnt that there are as many as 260 of them. I was also able to visit a state-of-the-art Bus station, the Holy Ghost Terminal. So, I would say that Governor Peter Mbah is genuinely transforming Enugu State, which used to be described as a Civil Service State. He is transforming it into an Industrial, Educational Hub and Agricultural Innovation.”
Chief Anyaoku continues, “The surprising thing is that all these developments are going on with little publicity. I had expected, as my experience visiting many other States in this country has shown, that in places where you have two to three projects going, you will have massive publicity of them. But not so in Enugu. So, Governor Peter Mbah is not just a performing Governor, but he is also a quiet and noiseless Governor”, he noted.
In a few days, the Enugu State Government will be hosting the National Convention of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA, another testament to the beauty, the peace, the Security, the Industry and the camaraderie that attends the Enugu space, thanks to the ebullient Servant Leader, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
We, the Concerned Professionals For Good Governance (A Good Leadership Advocacy Group) are committed to a private sector driven appraisal of leadership any and everywhere in Nigeria. We shall praise, applaud and celebrate PERFORMERS whilst profusely lampooning all underperforming Political operators across the nation, such is our creed. And in furtherance to this creed of ours, we hereby adopt the salient and unequivocal words of the 92 years old Elder Statesman, Chief Emeka Anyaoku to wit that Peter Mbah is genuinely quietly transforming Enugu State… And such is the unassailable TRUTH.
Okechukwu Nwafor
Concerned Professionals For Good Governance. (A Good Leadership Advocacy Group).
Emomotimi Agama, director general (DG) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), says the agency has not received any formal notice regarding the sale of Lafarge Africa Plc to Chinese investors.
Agama announced in a letter dated April 23, addressed to the clerk of the national assembly, and distributed during a hearing with the committee on the capital market on Wednesday.
The clarification followed a resolution by the senate (S/Res/2/78/24), which urged the federal government to stop the reported sale of Lafarge Africa Plc to Chinese interests on the grounds of national security and economic sovereignty.
“I acknowledge receipt of your letter referenced above, requesting the Commission’s intervention in the ongoing sale of Lafarge Africa Plc, with specific emphasis on safeguarding national security and economic sovereignty,” Agama said.
“The Commission wishes to inform the national assembly that it has not received any formal filing regarding the proposed divestment of majority shareholding in Lafarge Africa Plc.”
He noted that the commission was only informed of an internal restructuring by Holcim Group, which holds 83.81 percent of Lafarge Africa’s issued share capital.
Agama explained that Holcim Group controls its stake through two wholly owned entities — Caricement B.V. with 56.04 percent, and Associated International Cement Limited with 27.77 percent.
“As part of the internal restructuring, the 27.77% equity stake held by Associated International Cement Limited was transferred to another Holcim-owned entity, Davis Peak Holdings Limited,” he said.
“There has been no change in the ultimate beneficial ownership of the shares as a result of this transaction.”
He added that no regulatory action has been taken and no approval has been granted by the commission in relation to any sale to Chinese investors.
“Please be assured that the Commission remains committed to transparency, strict adherence to regulatory requirements, and the protection of national interest in all capital market operations,” Agama said.
In February, Agama assured the national assembly that the capital market operates a disclosure regime rather than a merit regime.
“Every company and director has a responsibility for figures that are disclosed to the public,” he said.
The DG also said it is the responsibility of the SEC to monitor and ensure that documents provided to members of the public are accurate, adding that if they do not meet standards, such institutions will be penalised.