Reps support bill on free, compulsory basic education

Members of the House of Representatives on Thursday expressed overwhelming support for the bill which seeks to provide for free, compulsory and basic education as a fundamental right of Nigerian citizens.

The bill sponsored by the Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 Cap. C. 23, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Standing in for the Speaker, the Majority Chief Whip, Hon Mohammed Monguno who led the debate, commended the Speaker for the foresight and vision of sponsoring the legislation as it seeks to ensure the millions of out of school Nigerian children are in schools.

He stated that the bill would cure the lack of education drive in the Northern part of Nigeria as well as the challenge of education of male children in the South-Eastern part of the country as well as serve as a cure for insurgency as the youth would be favourably engaged.

According to him, the bill also gives anyone denied basic education the legal standing to challenge the situation in court as a flaunting of their fundamental human rights.

ALSO READ: Why I left Law for farming —Aisha Damilola, CEO Tad Farms

Other lawmakers who spoke in favour of the bill are; Hon John Dyegh, Hon Chinedu Ogah, Hon Ade Adeogun, Hon Jide Olatunbosun, Hon Sam Onuigbo, Hon Emeka Chinedu, Hon Jimoh Olajide and Hon Yakub Buba stated that extremists have used the lack of education as tools to brainwash citizens to becoming insurgents.

On his part, Hon Toby Okechukwu who praised the spirit of the bill which seeks to ensure education becomes accessible to all bemoaned the poor infrastructure in the education sector.

Also speaking, Hon Taiwo Oluga called for synergy between the standard of education and infrastructure from the federal level to the rural level so all Nigerian children can develop together.

In his intervention, Hon Olatunbosun stated that the bill seeks to ensure the basic foundation of life is laid.

He stated that he is the son of a peasant farmer and he is in the House of Representatives due to the free basic education he enjoyed.

While ruling, Hon Gbajabiamila who presided over the plenary argued that the bill seeks to ensure education is not a privilege, but a fundamental human right to ensure Nigerians are educated.

According to him, the bill seeks to make free compulsory education a national policy so that no child is left behind nationwide. It also seeks to eliminate the word illiteracy from the Nigerian lexicon as it is becoming a plague.

He stated that even the extremists who frown at western education are covered as the Bill seeks education, not just western education, which he described as the key to unlocking minds and ensure true freedom.

To this end, the Bill was referred to the Special Ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of the Nigerian Constitution, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Hon Idris Wase.