A former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, has criticised the federal and state governments over lack of effective and faithful implementation of “free education” in Nigeria in line with the provisions of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme.
He insisted that both primary and secondary levels of education in the country must make education free and compulsory in letters and in action, saying that it is disheartening to hear that some pupils still learn under trees in some parts of the country.
Okojie spoke in Abuja at the launch of the Thomas Agnes Christianah Okojie (TACO) Charity Foundation, named after his parents and wife, noting that parents are still paying outrageous fees in private schools, while public schools continue to increase charges on a daily basis.
The event also featured the inaugural edition of the Julius Okojie lecture series titled, ‘The Future of the Nation’s University System.’
He said that Nigerian leaders owe every Nigerian child free primary and secondary education to enable them to occupy their spaces in daily life.
Okojie said he was shocked and displeased when he discovered during one of his tours to some schools around the country, that “pupils still learn under the trees,” adding that the schools are in a dilapidated and despicable state.
The former executive secretary of NUC, said students learning under the tree would eventually be half-baked, which according to him is not good for the country’s growth and development.
According to him, basic and secondary education systems have not been made free because of lack of appropriate structure.
“Having worked through the public service, I know that a girl who has no education does not have a space in this country. So, I have been promoting that crusade informally using my family house at Uromi, in Edo State.
According to him, proffering solutions to some of these needs are what propelled him to do more for children in this regard.
“I want to devote full time to the education of the girl-child, make boreholes for institutions that don’t have and attend to the health condition of the people in the villages.” he said.
Speaking on the thrust of the foundation, Okojie said his father, Thomas Okojie, a crusader of education, lost his life when trying to upgrade his educational status.
“In 9 September, 1960, I had passed an entrance examination to a college not very far from Uromi, in Eruwa town and my father decided to take me down to sleep over so I wouldn’t arrive late to the examination venue.
“My father lost his life while returning home from the journey. He had an accident and died with one of my cousins. I was so distressed by the painful experience. I saw my mother in widowhood and it really hurt me.
“So, being the son of a widow has made me always have sympathy for widows. I am also interested in the girl-child’s education because I have four sisters, the burden was always on me,” he added.
The guest speaker, Professor Desireé Guobadia, in her presentation called for reconsideration of Higher School Certificate (HSC) programmes in the country, saying the maturity that HSC gave was missing in the integration of students into higher institutions today.
Guobadia said that the certificate would provide the much-needed training platforms for students to mature.
She also said that the numbers of higher institutions in the country today is insufficient to cater for the admission needs of Nigerians.
