Education: name, policy not Nigeria’s problem

AFTER my parents fled Lagos for Mgbidi in the then Eastern region (later East Central State and now Imo State) at the onset of the Biafra – Nigeria civil war in 1967, they registered their children at Central School (primary) in our village. We had been dislocated from St. Jude’s Primary School in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos. Central School was comparable to St. Jude’s in infrastructure, teaching staff, and the quality of instructions. This should not come as a surprise because both schools were run by the Missionaries. They were also located in the bowls of expansive premises. However, Central School had a slight edge because it had a very big green and lush field which served as a football pitch, and for track and field sports events. The only drawback was that the field was located across a major road (now an expressway), the Onitsha – Owerri freeway. On that other side of the road also was the headmaster’s official residence which overlooked the field, and slightly to the left was the ‘i’ shaped teachers’ quarters. If we took time to write about some basic features of what was basically a rural school in the 1960s, it is only because we will have cause to return to it in the course of our engagement today. And it is also because of the recent policy flip flops and our nation’s apparent unseriousness over education since the ill-advised seizure of public primary and secondary schools by the military when soldiers assumed political  power in the 1960s. Tunji Alausa replaced Prof. Tahir Mamman as education minister in the last underwhelming reshuffle of the Cabinet of Nigeria’s president, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The president had said at the time of the Cabinet changes that he dropped some ministers because Nigerians assessed them poorly. But it could be a matter of coincidence that the changes happened at about the same time that the sacked minister was entangled with the controversial subject of the minimum age for the admission of our young adults or children into tertiary institutions. He was reported to have said that any child who was younger than 18 years would be ineligible for admission into the university. Some Nigerians and parents were alarmed and incensed especially because of the suddenness and alleged lack of consultations before the pronouncement. It was reckoned that many kids who were already in the terminal classes in secondary schools may be compelled to idle away for two to three years at home with the attendant risks before they become eligible to sit for the joint admissions and matriculation board examination for admission. The fight was loud, strident and very public. The spat may not be solely responsible for the ouster of the minister, but it may not be entirely unconnected with his sacking. That minister’s removal has, however, not cured Tinubu’s regime’s proclivity to put its own foot in its own mouth. His has been a case of one week, one controversy. Some of the president’s men and women speak from both sides of their mouths, and often long before they think through any issue. The other day, it was one presidential aide who wrote in a blog post that the federal government was at the cusp of increasing tariffs on electricity yet again. Nigerians screamed. Producers and manufacturers kicked and baulked at the proposed hike, saying that energy already accounts for a substantial percentage of their operational costs and household expenses. The government backed down, at least for now. The aide later went on a long-winding explanation of how the message was misunderstood, and how what was written was twisted and taken out of context. Last week was the turn of the federal ministry of education. READ ALSO: CSOs allege powerful elite depleting Nigeria’s mineral resources The minister was reported to have said that the federal government had scrapped the junior secondary school and the senior secondary school segments in Nigeria’s school system. In their place our children will subsequently be made to undertake a straight 12-year basic education before admission into the university if qualified. A national newspaper reported the ‘new policy’ thus last week Friday: The federal government has announced the scrapping of all junior secondary schools (JSS) and senior secondary schools (SSS) in the country and introduced a compulsory 12-year uninterrupted basic education model after which a Nigerian child can aspire to higher education. With this development, the Nigerian government is seeking the abolition of the 6-3-3-4 education system and replacing it with 12-4. This is even as it has sought the approval of the national council on education (NCE) to officially adopt 16 years as the minimum entry age requirement into the country’s tertiary institutions. The NCE is the apex policy-making agency in the education sector. Alausa was said to have spoken in Abuja in the presence of the commissioners for education in Nigeria’s 36 states and the education secretary of the federal capital territory (FCT), officials of agencies and parastatals under the education ministry, as well as representatives of development partners. The minister reportedly elaborated by saying that by subsuming secondary education into basic education, students will benefit from uninterrupted learning up to the age of 16, and that the new policy would align with global best practices. He claimed that the reform would reduce dropout rates by eliminating financial and systemic barriers that currently prevent students from completing secondary education. “Extending basic education to 12 years will ensure a standardized curriculum that is uniformly implemented across the nation. This will also facilitate early exposure to vocational and entrepreneurial skills, preparing students for both higher education and employment. Many developed nations have implemented similar systems where basic education spans 12 years, ensuring that students acquire foundational knowledge before specialising at tertiary levels”. The minister rightly said that “When students receive an extended period of compulsory education, they are better equipped to join the workforce with relevant skills. This reform will also reduce child labour and other social

FUHSO Governing Council Opposes Perm Sec on Re-instatement of VC, Appointment of Acting Vice-Chancellor

The Management of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO), has issued a statement condemning the purported appointment of Prof. Stephen Obekpa Abah as Acting Vice-Chancellor. The Governing Council also opposed the action of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Nasir S. Gwarzo, whereby he ordered the re-instatement of the suspended erstwhile Vice Chancellor, Prof Innocent Ujah. According to the statement, the appointment of Prof. Abah, circulated on social media on November 5, 2024, stems from an unauthorized and illegal meeting orchestrated by the suspended Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Innocent A. O. Ujah. The university clarified that the notice for the meeting was issued using the letterhead of the suspended Vice-Chancellor, bypassing the established protocols, specifically the role of the Registrar, who is responsible for issuing notices for Senate meetings.  The Registrar, who is the official Secretary of the Senate under the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (Establishment) Act of 2022, was neither aware of, nor present at the meeting, which underscores its illegality. The statement also clarified that Prof. Ujah’s actions, including his attempt to forcefully enter the G.R.A, Otukpo Campus with armed personnel, were thwarted by coordinated security measures.  Despite being denied access to the campus, Prof. Ujah, it was reported, accompanied by armed individuals, managed to convene a small gathering at the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital Otukpo, where the fraudulent meeting took place. This group later issued the false statement about the appointment Prof. Stephen Abah, alleged to be answering to a criminal case at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The Governing Council affirmed that Prof. Innocent A.O. Ujah remains suspended from his position and as such, has no legal authority to summon Senate meetings. The Council further emphasized that Prof. Ediga Bede Agbo is the legally appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor and that his position remains intact. The Council condemned the actions of Prof. Ujah and his associates as a violation of university governance, which has caused unnecessary distress within the university community. They urged all staff, students, and members of the community to disregard any claims made by Prof. Abah and to continue their academic and administrative duties as usual. It would be recalled that following the suspension of Prof. Ujah, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Nasir Gwarzo wrote a letter to counter the action. The Governing Council however, issued a rebuttal, insisting that Prof Ujah stands suspended and can not therefore preside over a senate meeting, talk less appoint his own successor. It is also contended that according to Section 2 (1)-(3) of the Universities Miscellaneous Act 2003: “(1) The Governing Council of a university shall be the supreme governing authority of the university and shall be responsible for the general direction and superintendence of the university.” As such, the Council contends that a letter by the Permanent Secretary, Education can not invalidate the decision of the Governing Council. “The directive from the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education amounts to undue interference in the activities of the Council and an attempt to usurp the powers of the Council and emasculate it,” it was stated. “The permanent secretary has suggested that the former Vice-Chancellor should be reinstated to restore peace on the campus. It suggests that he knows of a threat to peace, which is not manifest since the campus has not only been peaceful but jubilant since the former Vice-Chancellor was suspended. The Permanent Secretary may need to be held accountable for any breach of peace,” it was contended in another statement. “The permanent secretary has failed to carry out a situation analysis of the university, so he is completely unaware of the loud jubilation that greeted the suspension of the former vice-chancellor,” it was concluded.