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From available statistics, Dekina is the largest local government area in Kogi state. As large as it appears so also are the problems that have impeded its development over the years.
One of the very big problems in Dekina Local Government is Education. When I say education I mean basic primary education. A tour within and around the 12 wards of Dekina local government reveals a total collapse or near non-existence of the public primary educational system. Most children in Dekina have never attended school and those who do attend, are not effectively taught. This is evidenced as most children in the communities I visited hardly speak good English. Children are mostly taught in our native ‘Igala’ dialect in the public schools they attend. This I find ridiculous as they will not be able to compete favourably with pupils from other states in Nigeria.
Parents and guardians who can’t afford to send their children and wards to private schools, attends the public schools. Children in the public schools are exposed to high level risk due to the conditions of their classrooms; broken windows and ceilings are major characteristics of these schools. Children sit on bare floors to be taught, while some of them learn under trees. I must say that most the school classrooms are suitable for goats and pigs only. These are the harsh conditions of the classrooms in which our children learn.
Most of the children go to school in torn uniforms, no sandals or stockings. They put their exercise books in ‘leathers’ and trek long distance to attend school. This situation is similar to some of the stories our parent told us when they were young and in school. It is a pity that nothing has really changed in Dekina.
Boys in public schools outweighs the number of girls. A lot of young girls go to farms or become teenage mothers. You may want to ask why? I am told by parents and guardians of how difficult it is has become to keep two children in school owing to the hardship they experience, they prefer to send only the male child to school.
One pitiable sight I saw at Ogbabede a community in Dekina Local Government on a Wednesday morning, was a 10 years old girl with an advanced pregnancy. This made me shed tears as I imagined my own daughter in such situation. I later discovered, sadly though, that this trend was rampant in almost all the communities in Dekina local government.
The teachers are the worse off. Most of them have not been paid salaries for months; and when they are eventually paid, it is in percentages. They are placed in so many government administrative and financial list i.e cleared list, uncleared list, pardon list, clemency list, awaiting list etc. They are largely over stretched as only one teacher can teach the whole of a school taken all the subjects. How possible can this be?
A good number of them have taken to farming for survival. This is the reason why when you go to these schools you hardly meet the teachers teaching in the classrooms. Truly you cannot blame them because no teacher can teach effectively on an empty stomach.
Quite a sizeable amount of our teachers in Dekina public schools also need to be taught themselves. A situation where a teacher cannot speak good English calls for worry.
When we deny our children quality education we murder their future and create room for anarchy. The development we seek in Dekina local Government begins with a sound mind especially from our children. Some of us wonder why we have armed robbers, political thugs and what have you from Dekina, it is because of lack of quality education at the primary level back at home.
We have forgotten one of the very basic foundations for development which is quality education for our children in Dekina. I need to say here that education remains one of the keys for living a fulfilled life. An educated society is a safe society. Until we place priority on the subjects that would bring development, promote peace and guarantee security we will continue to wallow in the dark.
Government should not be left to solve all the problems as it relates to basic primary education in dekina; We can support government in our individual capacities to ensure our children get quality education in the various public schools in our various communities.
This is one of the reason amongst others I am running for the office of the House of Representative to represent Dekina / Bassa Federal Constituency in the Green Chamber.
I believe with the wealth of experience I have gathered over the years in my professional career both home and abroad, I will be able to bring soothing relief to our people as it relates to quality basic education for our children in Dekina public schools.
This I can do by offering various levels of support to public schools in Dekina from constituency allowances, personal income and savings. Sometimes in December I granted soft loans of N20,000 each to 200 teachers from Dekina and Bassa local government respectively to enable them meet their individual basic needs. This I did because I believe that when a teacher is comfortable, he or she would be better positioned to transfer knowledge.
There are a lot of local and international donor agencies whose thematic areas of work reference is in basic education.
Using my high level connections in the international community having been a Senior Special Assistant to the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, I can attract donor agencies, both foreign and local, to support and improve the poor condition of basic education in Dekina. I must say that there are various options available to an elected representative to this effect.
I may not be able to tar roads or build bridges neither would I be able to engage in fathom projects like planting of electric poles when I know I have no control of electric supply to our communities; but I can guarantee quality basic education for our children in Dekina and Bassa local government.
Please join me in the coming days, weeks and months in advocating and supporting basic primary education in Dekina local government.
Most importantly, it is high time to awaken the consciousness of government at all levels in Dekina to wake up to their sworn responsibilities to our people.
Long live Kogi state, long live Dekina Local Government.
For Man and Society,
– Sanni Idakwo Philips
House of Representatives aspirant for Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency.
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