An uneducated society is a dead society, a smart head directs all other parts smartly. Education, formal or informal is a great asset to the society. It is not enough to allocate a huge amount to the education sector without a matching action to put the sector on the right pedestal. It is not news that the government owned primary schools are dead because it spend about about two years on strike under the four years tenure of Captain Idris Wada. If not for the private primary schools, by now a gap would have been created. The secondary school was not left out of the incessant strike actions.
When the government of Governor Yahaya Bello came on board, I was among the first to express optimism in the fact that a better kogi will be delivered. Many friends even those now shouting new direction criticised and insulted me for reasons best known to them.
My believe was based on two premises
- He is a young man full of life and energy and will outperform past governors looking at his achievements in the private sector.
- I had the belief that as an Egbira (Igbira) he will want to prove the igala people wrong that tribe does not determine performance as a governor.
The governor announced his intention to conduct a reform in the service, I was super excited because I felt the civil service needs overhauling and complete reform. I didn’t know that that reform will be the greatest undoing of this administration.
I have watched carefully the handling of the strike in the education sector, the claims and counter claims, the accusations and counter accusations, the name calling and the blame game engaged by both the government and the unions involved.
The education of mind should not be traded on the table of politics,no amount of commitment on security and investment will yield desired results if our youth remain uneducated. I have read how you are working on securing the state, how investors are coming into the state. May I remind you that if we don’t educate these people, they will turn to criminals and hunt us and at that point we will not blame them because we abdicated our duty and engaged in shadow chasing. Of what use will factories be to us if our people do not have the skills to work there?
I also want to tell you Mr governor that buying grinders, motorcycle, welding machines, pressure car wash and sharing of ten thousand naira(#10000) is not empowerment. The real empowerment is to educate the mind of the youth to become productive to themselves and the state.
The strike is taking too long yet all your aides do is blame shifting, man up please, you need to be decisive to end this unnecessary strike action.
Long live Kogi state.
– Igomu Ojogbami Benedict writes from Abuja
070544464444
Igomuojogbami@gmail.com
