Plenary proceedings of the House of Representatives for Thursday, March 12th, 2020,
After leading the opening prayer, the Speaker went on to examine and approve the votes and proceedings for Wednesday, March 11th, 2020
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The Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila welcomed members to the special session of the debate on the problems of out of school children in Nigeria, he expressed the hope that the resolutions from the robust debate would lead to actionable policy plans that will effectively tackle the problem. The Speaker noted that the public hearing which will be the result of the resolutions of the debate will for the first time not be conducted by any Committee of the House, but by the Committee of the Whole.
The Speaker then went ahead to give his opening remarks:
Good morning honourable colleagues. I welcome you all to this special plenary session of the House of Representatives, and I thank you for being here this morning.
2.We have come here today to consider the matter of the millions of children in our country who are out of school, and who as a result are denied their fundamental right to receive the training and skills acquisition opportunities that will allow them to have better lives than their parents before them, and provide a better future for their offspring.
3.We are here to consider the failures of policy development and implementation, the vagaries of culture and religion that have contributed to the plight of these young people. We are here to advance solutions to this problem.
4.We are here to act in the best interests of our people by ensuring that the solutions presented here today are formulated into actionable policy plans to be implemented diligently, with haste. This is a commitment that we made in our Legislative Agenda, and we will live up to this and all other commitments which we have freely made before God and the Nigerian people who have chosen us to represent them here in this hallowed chamber.
5.Over the last twenty years, the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has committed to a programme of educational reform that has resulted in the allocation of significant sums of money to fund basic education access in our country. These reforms have been intended mostly to address the availability gap by building new schools and providing teachers in previously underserved areas.
These investments have not yielded the desired outcomes.
These investments have not yielded the desired outcomes.
6.In too many parts of the country, the school attendance rates have not improved, and the quality of education being received by those who enrol and attend still falls far short of our most fundamental expectations. We must consider that perhaps the time for a massive course correction has come.
7.That process of course correction must begin first with
a critical assessment of everything we have done so far so that we can objectively determine for ourselves what works and what doesn’t, what can be learned from reform efforts and what is necessary to ensure that no Nigerian child, born in this age will ever be denied the benefits of an empowering education.
a critical assessment of everything we have done so far so that we can objectively determine for ourselves what works and what doesn’t, what can be learned from reform efforts and what is necessary to ensure that no Nigerian child, born in this age will ever be denied the benefits of an empowering education.
8.Let no one be left in any doubt, we will not eradicate poverty from our land or meet the challenges of insecurity, we cannot defeat ignorance and strife or attract foreign investment in significant numbers to make a substantial economic difference until we have ensured for all our people access to a modern education that empowers them to participate fully in the 21st-century knowledge economy.
9.We have spent the past two decades building schools. It has not been enough. Now is the time to lift our ambitions to the consideration of bigger things and begin to build capacity for the future survival of our nation. The complex interconnectivity of modern life means that we cannot be satisfied with merely shoving more children into failing and failed school systems just so we can maintain the appearance of education access. We must aim for better.
10.An enlightened education gives hope and the confidence that through the studied application of the human mind and human ability, individuals can remake their existence and make their world better.
11.Education excellence calls for ongoing curriculum reform, and a broad embrace of technology in our schools. At the earliest possible stage of their education, we must begin to equip our young people with the skills they need to thrive in this technocentric new world.
12.It is not enough to build schools if we cannot also provide properly trained, suitably remunerated and passionately motivated teachers. We have a crisis of not enough teachers across the country today, a crisis so severe, that many of the schools we have built are at risk of becoming empty monuments. This crisis requires of us that we embrace unorthodox thinking and options we never considered before.
13.It is in that spirit, that I will seek legislation to amend the National Youth Service Act to allow the corps to establish a “Teaching for Nigeria” pathway which will allow for the identification, recruitment and deployment of willing, capable and promising young Nigerians to serve as teachers in underserved areas during their service year and for a number of years after, in exchange for a Federal Government commitment to fund their post-graduate education in addition to whatever allowances they might receive during their deployment.
14.Education excellence also calls for administrative accountability and a fair admissions process across the board. We cannot continue to relegate huge swathes of our national population to second class citizenship through the operation of an affirmative action system that is rooted in outdated ideas about our nationhood.
15.Lifting our ambitions to the consideration of bigger things requires of us that we commit ourselves to a determined and sustained effort to confront the cultural and religious beliefs and practices that influence decisions about education.
16.A child’s gender should never determine whether they get an education or not. This should no longer be a controversial position to take. Our constitution guarantees all our children a right to basic education. We must now act to live up to that obligation. All our nation’s children are God’s children and we owe to each of them the same responsibilities regardless of their gender, the location or circumstances of their birth.
17.If we do nothing else today, let us all take advantage of this special session to tell ourselves the reality, so that we may liberate ourselves from the shackles of limited thought and through our collective efforts, achieve the vision of a nation where no child is left behind, where no child is forgotten and all God’s children have the opportunity to fulfil the highest achievements of which they are inherently capable. That is the challenge. We intend to meet it.
18.Shortly, we will view a documentary on our nation’s millions of out of school children. This is intended to serve as a visual and shocking reminder of why we are gathered here today. Afterwards, I will invite Hon. Wunmi Ogunlola, who will act on my behalf to bring a motion under the purview of Order 8 Rule 4, matters of urgent public importance so that the House may commence debate on the subject matter, and take other actions as it may deem fit.
19.Honourable colleagues, this is the time for truth-telling but it is not an occasion for finger-pointing. This is not an arena for trafficking in destructive stereotypes or invitation to pander to the base instincts that have too often in the past stood in the way of development and progress in our national life. Truth-telling is an act of love and respect; love of country and respect for one another. Let all the submissions we make today be grounded in these eternal ideals.
20.I thank you all most graciously for your presence here today. God bless you all. And God bless our Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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Debate
Rep. Omowumi Olubunmi on behalf of the Speaker moved a motion of urgent public importance on the need for the House to deliberate on the issue of the out of school children in Nigeria and it was seconded by Rep. Haruna Dederi.
In her lead debate, Rep. Olubunmi stated that the data provided by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) of the number of out of school children in Nigeria is alarming and constitutes a time bomb that needs to be diffused before it explodes into a national disaster. She expressed sadness at the high number of out of school children who are not being educationally equipped to contribute to national development in the future, this she recognized is a violation of the fundamental human right of these Nigerian children. She called on the House Committee on Basic Education to carry out a comprehensive investigation on the actual number of out of school children in Nigeria, the Committee, she noted should also evaluate existing government programs aimed at tackling the menace, evaluate the level of completion and implementation of such programs and policies and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative actions. Rep. Olubunmi also called on the Committee of the Whole to organize a public hearing towards getting the input of the public and critical stakeholders to tackle the menace. She also proposed the amendment of the NYSC Act to accommodate qualified and willing Corps members to be posted as teachers in understaffed regions where the need is, with a commitment from the government to fund such endeavours during their service year, and beyond if need be. She called on parents to do all possible to ensure their children attend school and suggested measures be put in place to ensure parents are held responsible and sanctionable when their children that fall within school age are classified as 'out of school children'.
Rep. Yusuf Gagdi in speaking to the motion stated that both government and private individuals have their responsibilities towards the education and wellbeing of the Nigerian child. He praised the Speaker for the spirit of the motion which seeks to ensure no child is left behind pertaining their rights to basic education. Rep. Gagdi called on governments at all levels to ensure they do their parts in ensuring Nigerian children are nor left behind. He also called for more commitment on the part of public office holders and well-to-do individuals to remember the African spirit of community development and extend a hand to the community children to aid in their development, instead of engaging in frivolous and wasteful lifestyles. He also called for a better budgetary allocation to educational development.
Rep. Mohammed Tahir Monguno stated that education as the bedrock of any societal development cannot be overlooked by any serious government. Rep. Monguno stated that he was from a poor background, and the free feeding policy of the government was something that drew him to and kept him in school. While noting that the education policy aided his personal development, Monguno called on governments at all levels to reintroduce and maintain the mandatory free qualitative basic school education system as well as the free feeding program to be incentive to draw children back to school.
Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa stated that the problem of out of school children is one of the direct reasons why the insurgency, especially in the northeastern part of Nigeria has continued to grow. He also called on governments at all levels to ensure the problem of out of school children are tackled in all geopolitical regions in the nation as this has continued to encourage kidnapping, banditry, robbery, militancy and cattle rustling. He called on the House as an institution to continue to advocate for quality and accessible education for all Nigerian children, as this is a foundation that is necessary for societal development. He commended the governments of Kano and Nasarawa states for directing that no child within school age should be seen idling on the street during school hours.
Rep. Chris Azubogu called for the provision of adequate and enforceable government policies, as well as the requisite, critical infrastructure for impactful education to thrive in Nigeria. This, he stated ensures the mental development necessary to translate into economic national development for the nation is achieved.
Rep. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha pointed out that the foundation of the actual being an individual becomes in the society is laden in the type of education the individual gets, so Nigeria must ensure the right training is put into the children from the foundation. Rep. Onyejeocha also advocated for the empowering of the girl child as they seem to be the most vulnerable in the statistics of out of school children.
Rep. Abubakar Fulata blamed economic handicap and negligence for the educational underdevelopment of some Nigerian states. He called for the adoption and enforcement of proper policies aimed at educational development such as free and compulsory education, as well as technical educational development. Rep. Francis Waive expressed sadness that the out of school children did not become this way by choice, but are victims of either personal or communal disaster, insurgency or economic underdevelopment. He also bemoaned the low quality of life on the streets that some of these children have to undergo daily. He also blamed population explosion, family crisis and failure to plan and build adequate social infrastructure for the problem now prevailing, he called for the enforcement of the child rights Act as a solution to the problem.
Rep. Toby Okechukwu stated that a large number of Nigerians are supposed to be an asset, but when these huge numbers are uneducated, they become a national burden. He emphasized that the difference between an individual in petty trading and one who is a captain of industry might just be education, hence education is not what should be denied anyone. Rep. Okechukwu commended the Kano and Nasarawa state governments for their desire to tackle the problem of out of school children. Rep. Balarabe Shehu stated that the Nigerian population of Nigeria should be a blessed resource, but, unfortunately, they are not being developed despite the available resources, he commended leaders at all levels for their commitment to tackling this problem which he described as a hydrogen bomb waiting to explode and engulf the nation. He also called for the special care for female out of school children as they suffer the most at the end.
Rep. Sam Onwuaso stated that the data of out of school children increases daily, and this is a problem that needs to be tackled at all cost as these children are at their critical years of positive character formation and failure to tap into these minds is yielding the Nigerian future to moral doom. Rep. Nasir Ahmed stated that it is unfortunate that Nigeria has the highest number of out of school children and most can be found in the northern region of Nigeria. He bemoaned the mismanagement of the Almajiri education system which was intended to build the children in Arabic education, but the application has left most of them to abandonment and neglect. Rep. Ahmed called for an emphasis on national educational development and called on traditional/ religious leaders to keep speaking to the educational/ moral development of Nigerians so that the nation does not end up possessing the image of a nation of criminals. He called on the House to ensure a Law that prescribes a certain percentage of the budget for education so that it cannot be flaunted.
Rep. Ndudi Elumelu called for practical solutions to reducing the number of out of school children. He called on politicians to sacrifice some of their allowances and entitlements to help cater for some of the out of school children in their constituencies. He commended the Delta State governor for providing scholarship for the out of school children in Delta state. Rep. Elumelu called on the government to create incentives and the enabling environment for children to attend and remain in school, such as the free and quality basic education system as well a s the free feeding program. He called on the business community and captains of industry in the private sector to also set up or partner with existing education funds and foundations to help the government reduce the numbers of out of school children.
Rep. Chinedu Obidigwe stated that free and compulsory education should be enforced and backed by the constitution, as the section of the constitution concerning free and compulsory education gives a leeway for state governors and parents to get away with neglecting the educational fundamental rights of children, hence creating the problem of out of school children. He called for the amendment of that relevant section of the constitution.
The Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila clarified that such sections would be dealt with in the Constitution Review exercise, but Rep. Obidigwe should sponsor the Bill to ensure that the particular section is amended in case what he referred to has not been touched on.
Rep. Victor Mela wondered what went wrong with the free education system that was prevalent in the past. He warned against complacency on the issue, as the insurgency in the northeastern part of Nigeria is a direct fallout of the lack of emphasis on quality education for the citizens. He also advocated for the implementation of critical policies aimed at educational development and for technical development in education as science and technology are the future of the world.
Rep. Abdullahi Abdulkadir called for the consideration of the plight of the Local Government and people at the grassroots in policy formulation and their proper implementation. He applauded the proposed public hearing from the resolutions of the debate. He called on politicians to change their attitude of always looking for institutions to be sited in regions of their choice other than where the educational needs are most dire. Rep. Abdulkadir also proposed an amendment to the prayers of the motion that the Committee on Basic Education gets one extra month to do their job effectively.
Rep. Ade Adeogun stated that the high number of out of school children should make it criminal for children to still be deprived of basic education. He pointed to the social consequences of educational neglect. Rep. Adeogun called for legislation in dealing with the problem. He recalled on the measure adopted by the then Akwa Ibom State government to ensure the menace of out of school children ending up as domestic maids is halted, and how it worked effectively and called for such commitment nationally.
Rep. Aishatu Dukku called for the distinction of the different problems namely, the misappropriation of the Almajiri system, the internally displaced child and the out of school child. She stated that these are distinct problems with distinct features and solutions. She called for the strengthening of Laws aimed at discouraging the prevalence of the problem of the out of school children.
A member from Bauchi called for the strengthening of public schools to provide quality education to children for those with low income and ensure they have the opportunity to compete for available opportunities in the society and make meaningful economic development to their communities. Rep. Olajide Stanley commended the Speaker of the House for this historic debate and called for the enforcement of free and compulsory education in Nigeria as the solution to the problem of the out of school children.
Rep. James Faleke called on states of the federation to come up with policies that best handle their specific and peculiar cases of out of school children. He called on men to only bear children they can cater for to ensure the problem is tackled.
Rep. Sada Soli called for the domestication of the Universal Basic Education Act and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) programs, and that school curriculum should be updated so that children can be trained in what will be of economic benefit to the individual and the nation. He also called for a state of emergency to be called on the education system and that teachers should continue to be patriotic to develop the children in their care.
Rep. Adesegun Adekoya called for the structural development of public institutions so they can compete with those in the private institutions and give them equal rights of economic competition.
Rep. Khadijah Abba Ibrahim called on leaders to spread the advocacy to ensure basic education is applicable down to the grass root. She also advocated for the incorporation of willing Corps members of the NYSC scheme to aid in teaching where the need exists.
Rep. Tajudeen Abbas called for the review of relevant Laws to ensure that the causes of the prevalence of out of school children are criminalized and that the problem of school dropouts should be minimized. He proposed two amendments to the prayers of the motion calling for constituency projects to be geared towards the building of properly equipped schools in the constituencies for the next year, and that the House Committee on Labour should join in the investigation.
Rep. Ali Ibrahim called for more concerted efforts on the part of all levels of government to tackle the menace as it is now.
Rep. Nnolim Nnaji blamed poverty for the prevalence of the problem of out of school children. He also called for more resilience on the part of government, parents and wards to ensure basic education is achieved. He called on the government to provide the basic infrastructure to battle the problem.
Rep. Ahmed Jaha blamed negligence and poor governance for the prevailing problem in northern Nigeria. He pointed to poverty alleviation, discouraging early marriages, teenage pregnancy and tackling the porous nature of the Nigerian borders as some specific solutions to the problem.
Rep. Shettima Ali called on the government to provide the environment to make public schools attractive again. He also advocated for better budgetary provision and releases towards educational development, especially for public institutions.
Rep. Wole Oke called for the reawakening of the national pride and patriotism towards teaching and education service delivery. Rep. Oke also blamed some cultures and corruption for the seeming failure of both the secular and Almajiri form of education.
Rep. Musa Sarkin Adah blamed the unpatriotic and corrupt nature of leaders for the failing educational sector and called for a shift from the norm in appreciation, releases and monitoring of funds for the education sector. Rep. Addah also called for better training tactics for schools and that states should adopt better models of enrolling more children in schools and that more public figures should help train more out of school children as their corporate social responsibility.
Rep. Rotimi Agunsoye called on leaders who enjoyed free education years back to encourage free education today too so that the number of out of school children can reduce. He also called for population census and control to ensure adequate planning of resources for individuals.
Rep. Ali Wudil called for the integration of the Almajiri school system into the formal educational system so that it can enjoy proper scrutiny and management.
Rep. Akinfolarin Mayowa called for better commitment of leaders to educational development as it is the bedrock of national socio-economic development.
Rep. Adejare Babatunde stated that overpopulation is a major contributor to the problem of out of school children. He advocated for a better and enforceable birth control policy of the government, especially when the parents are economically constrained.
Rep. Tolulope Sadipe stated that the data of out of school children is alarming. She stressed that not only is education desirable and fundamental, but quality education is much more vital in the prevailing world circumstances. She proposed an amendment calling for the strengthening of the relevant Laws to ensure children within basic school age are not to be made to engage in any other endeavour during school periods and that there be an investigation into all funds appropriated for education infrastructural development. She also lamented the inconsistency of educational policies of some schools aimed at taking financial advantage of parents.
Rep. Thomas Ereyitomi blamed systematic failure, poverty and negligence of policy formulations for the prevailing problem of the out of school children. He called for the practical implementation of education developmental policies to tackle the problem.
Rep. Haruna Dederi expressed sadness at the manner the laudable Almajiri educational system was let to collapse. He called on the private sector to contribute to the reviving of the Almajiri educational system to ensure it functions as it should.
Rep. Miriam Onuoha stated that the plight of a child who seeks education but is financially constrained from doing so is most devastating. She advocated for the adoption of the free basic and compulsory education policy of the government for the out of school children and prayed the relevant committees of the House would ensure compliance. Rep. Babangida Ibrahim clarified that the Federal government is not responsible for basic education, apart from providing the infrastructure, the onus he stated falls to the state and local governments to implement most resolutions of the debate, this point was also reiterated by Rep. Abdulsalam Mubarak.
Rep. Julius Ihonvbere as the Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education thanked members for their contributions to the debate and for proffering solutions. He stated that when the problem is taken seriously with the resolve associated with Nigerians, the issues therein can be effectively tackled. Rep. Ihonvbere called for the implementation of educational development policies of government aimed at tackling the issue. He also called on state governors and heads of local governments to do more to tackle the problem in their states and communities respectively. Rep. Ihonvbere promised that the committee would work hard on the resolutions of the debate.
Rep. Henry Igariwey stated that the main problem is the leeway in the constitution that is being exploited by leaders to shelve their responsibilities to provide free and basic education. He called for the amendment of the relevant sections of the Constitution to ensure it becomes mandatory for states to provide free basic education to Nigerian children resident in the states as the most practical solution.
Rep. Obinna Chidoka bemoaned the lack of adequate data of out of school children, addressing this and implementing informed planning he stated is what is needed to tackle the problem. He called for practical education that will satisfy the peculiar needs of states. Rep. Chidoka also called for a higher budgetary percentage to be appropriated for education and proper scrutiny of such funds appropriated. Rep. Nicholas Ossai called for the implementation of policies that would cure the problem of out of school children as has been implemented in countries such as Indonesia. He also called for the setting up of skill enhancement centres which are practical for effective economic development. Rep. Ossai also agreed with the suggestion of Rep. Tajudeen Abbas to channel some of the constitution projects to educational infrastructure development, as it is a sure way to develop the educational sector.
Rep. Gideon Gwani in rounding up the debate called for more seriousness on the part of those responsible for policy formulation and implementation to practically deal with the problem. Rep. Gwani called for the proper registration and supervision of the Almajiri school system for its proper national management and effective discharge of the school system by the education ministry at the state and federal levels.
Rep. Babangida Ibrahim proposed an amendment to the first prayer of the motion calling on the House Committee on Basic Education to collaborate with relevant government agencies to determine the extent of out of school children, the specific problems in states and proffer the peculiar solutions.
Rep. Mohammed Jega also proposed an amendment to review and reappraise all existing government policies aimed at tackling the issue and see if they are being well implemented and to ensure their effect on the issue.
Rep. Aishatu Dukku proposed an amendment on the establishment of a social reorientation program to discourage the root causes of the problem of out of school children, in addition to the review of the UBEC Act on sanction for handlers of children, found out of school.
Egberongbe Muftau proposed a review of the nation's education curriculum to reflect the prevailing global realities.
Rep Balarabe Shehu Kakale proposed the adoption of the Malaysian and Indonesian solutions to the problem of out of school children in the country.
The Speaker of House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila through the leader of the House, Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa proposed two amendments, the first is that members should take the last weekend in March to hold town-hall meetings with their constituents and local stakeholders to address the issue and proffer a solution to the problem in their localities. The second amendment is aimed at tackling the lack of qualified teachers, to that effect the House should consider the amendment of the National Youth Service Corps Act to allow willing and qualified corp members to be posted as teachers in understaffed regions where the need is, with a commitment from the government to fund such endeavours during their service year, and beyond if need be.
The motion was voted on and adopted as amended.
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Rep. Omowumi Olubunmi on behalf of the Speaker moved a motion of urgent public importance on the need for the House to deliberate on the issue of the out of school children in Nigeria and it was seconded by Rep. Haruna Dederi.
In her lead debate, Rep. Olubunmi stated that the data provided by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) of the number of out of school children in Nigeria is alarming and constitutes a time bomb that needs to be diffused before it explodes into a national disaster. She expressed sadness at the high number of out of school children who are not being educationally equipped to contribute to national development in the future, this she recognized is a violation of the fundamental human right of these Nigerian children. She called on the House Committee on Basic Education to carry out a comprehensive investigation on the actual number of out of school children in Nigeria, the Committee, she noted should also evaluate existing government programs aimed at tackling the menace, evaluate the level of completion and implementation of such programs and policies and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative actions. Rep. Olubunmi also called on the Committee of the Whole to organize a public hearing towards getting the input of the public and critical stakeholders to tackle the menace. She also proposed the amendment of the NYSC Act to accommodate qualified and willing Corps members to be posted as teachers in understaffed regions where the need is, with a commitment from the government to fund such endeavours during their service year, and beyond if need be. She called on parents to do all possible to ensure their children attend school and suggested measures be put in place to ensure parents are held responsible and sanctionable when their children that fall within school age are classified as 'out of school children'.
Rep. Yusuf Gagdi in speaking to the motion stated that both government and private individuals have their responsibilities towards the education and wellbeing of the Nigerian child. He praised the Speaker for the spirit of the motion which seeks to ensure no child is left behind pertaining their rights to basic education. Rep. Gagdi called on governments at all levels to ensure they do their parts in ensuring Nigerian children are nor left behind. He also called for more commitment on the part of public office holders and well-to-do individuals to remember the African spirit of community development and extend a hand to the community children to aid in their development, instead of engaging in frivolous and wasteful lifestyles. He also called for a better budgetary allocation to educational development.
Rep. Mohammed Tahir Monguno stated that education as the bedrock of any societal development cannot be overlooked by any serious government. Rep. Monguno stated that he was from a poor background, and the free feeding policy of the government was something that drew him to and kept him in school. While noting that the education policy aided his personal development, Monguno called on governments at all levels to reintroduce and maintain the mandatory free qualitative basic school education system as well as the free feeding program to be incentive to draw children back to school.
Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa stated that the problem of out of school children is one of the direct reasons why the insurgency, especially in the northeastern part of Nigeria has continued to grow. He also called on governments at all levels to ensure the problem of out of school children are tackled in all geopolitical regions in the nation as this has continued to encourage kidnapping, banditry, robbery, militancy and cattle rustling. He called on the House as an institution to continue to advocate for quality and accessible education for all Nigerian children, as this is a foundation that is necessary for societal development. He commended the governments of Kano and Nasarawa states for directing that no child within school age should be seen idling on the street during school hours.
Rep. Chris Azubogu called for the provision of adequate and enforceable government policies, as well as the requisite, critical infrastructure for impactful education to thrive in Nigeria. This, he stated ensures the mental development necessary to translate into economic national development for the nation is achieved.
Rep. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha pointed out that the foundation of the actual being an individual becomes in the society is laden in the type of education the individual gets, so Nigeria must ensure the right training is put into the children from the foundation. Rep. Onyejeocha also advocated for the empowering of the girl child as they seem to be the most vulnerable in the statistics of out of school children.
Rep. Abubakar Fulata blamed economic handicap and negligence for the educational underdevelopment of some Nigerian states. He called for the adoption and enforcement of proper policies aimed at educational development such as free and compulsory education, as well as technical educational development. Rep. Francis Waive expressed sadness that the out of school children did not become this way by choice, but are victims of either personal or communal disaster, insurgency or economic underdevelopment. He also bemoaned the low quality of life on the streets that some of these children have to undergo daily. He also blamed population explosion, family crisis and failure to plan and build adequate social infrastructure for the problem now prevailing, he called for the enforcement of the child rights Act as a solution to the problem.
Rep. Toby Okechukwu stated that a large number of Nigerians are supposed to be an asset, but when these huge numbers are uneducated, they become a national burden. He emphasized that the difference between an individual in petty trading and one who is a captain of industry might just be education, hence education is not what should be denied anyone. Rep. Okechukwu commended the Kano and Nasarawa state governments for their desire to tackle the problem of out of school children. Rep. Balarabe Shehu stated that the Nigerian population of Nigeria should be a blessed resource, but, unfortunately, they are not being developed despite the available resources, he commended leaders at all levels for their commitment to tackling this problem which he described as a hydrogen bomb waiting to explode and engulf the nation. He also called for the special care for female out of school children as they suffer the most at the end.
Rep. Sam Onwuaso stated that the data of out of school children increases daily, and this is a problem that needs to be tackled at all cost as these children are at their critical years of positive character formation and failure to tap into these minds is yielding the Nigerian future to moral doom. Rep. Nasir Ahmed stated that it is unfortunate that Nigeria has the highest number of out of school children and most can be found in the northern region of Nigeria. He bemoaned the mismanagement of the Almajiri education system which was intended to build the children in Arabic education, but the application has left most of them to abandonment and neglect. Rep. Ahmed called for an emphasis on national educational development and called on traditional/ religious leaders to keep speaking to the educational/ moral development of Nigerians so that the nation does not end up possessing the image of a nation of criminals. He called on the House to ensure a Law that prescribes a certain percentage of the budget for education so that it cannot be flaunted.
Rep. Ndudi Elumelu called for practical solutions to reducing the number of out of school children. He called on politicians to sacrifice some of their allowances and entitlements to help cater for some of the out of school children in their constituencies. He commended the Delta State governor for providing scholarship for the out of school children in Delta state. Rep. Elumelu called on the government to create incentives and the enabling environment for children to attend and remain in school, such as the free and quality basic education system as well a s the free feeding program. He called on the business community and captains of industry in the private sector to also set up or partner with existing education funds and foundations to help the government reduce the numbers of out of school children.
Rep. Chinedu Obidigwe stated that free and compulsory education should be enforced and backed by the constitution, as the section of the constitution concerning free and compulsory education gives a leeway for state governors and parents to get away with neglecting the educational fundamental rights of children, hence creating the problem of out of school children. He called for the amendment of that relevant section of the constitution.
The Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila clarified that such sections would be dealt with in the Constitution Review exercise, but Rep. Obidigwe should sponsor the Bill to ensure that the particular section is amended in case what he referred to has not been touched on.
Rep. Victor Mela wondered what went wrong with the free education system that was prevalent in the past. He warned against complacency on the issue, as the insurgency in the northeastern part of Nigeria is a direct fallout of the lack of emphasis on quality education for the citizens. He also advocated for the implementation of critical policies aimed at educational development and for technical development in education as science and technology are the future of the world.
Rep. Abdullahi Abdulkadir called for the consideration of the plight of the Local Government and people at the grassroots in policy formulation and their proper implementation. He applauded the proposed public hearing from the resolutions of the debate. He called on politicians to change their attitude of always looking for institutions to be sited in regions of their choice other than where the educational needs are most dire. Rep. Abdulkadir also proposed an amendment to the prayers of the motion that the Committee on Basic Education gets one extra month to do their job effectively.
Rep. Ade Adeogun stated that the high number of out of school children should make it criminal for children to still be deprived of basic education. He pointed to the social consequences of educational neglect. Rep. Adeogun called for legislation in dealing with the problem. He recalled on the measure adopted by the then Akwa Ibom State government to ensure the menace of out of school children ending up as domestic maids is halted, and how it worked effectively and called for such commitment nationally.
Rep. Aishatu Dukku called for the distinction of the different problems namely, the misappropriation of the Almajiri system, the internally displaced child and the out of school child. She stated that these are distinct problems with distinct features and solutions. She called for the strengthening of Laws aimed at discouraging the prevalence of the problem of the out of school children.
A member from Bauchi called for the strengthening of public schools to provide quality education to children for those with low income and ensure they have the opportunity to compete for available opportunities in the society and make meaningful economic development to their communities. Rep. Olajide Stanley commended the Speaker of the House for this historic debate and called for the enforcement of free and compulsory education in Nigeria as the solution to the problem of the out of school children.
Rep. James Faleke called on states of the federation to come up with policies that best handle their specific and peculiar cases of out of school children. He called on men to only bear children they can cater for to ensure the problem is tackled.
Rep. Sada Soli called for the domestication of the Universal Basic Education Act and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) programs, and that school curriculum should be updated so that children can be trained in what will be of economic benefit to the individual and the nation. He also called for a state of emergency to be called on the education system and that teachers should continue to be patriotic to develop the children in their care.
Rep. Adesegun Adekoya called for the structural development of public institutions so they can compete with those in the private institutions and give them equal rights of economic competition.
Rep. Khadijah Abba Ibrahim called on leaders to spread the advocacy to ensure basic education is applicable down to the grass root. She also advocated for the incorporation of willing Corps members of the NYSC scheme to aid in teaching where the need exists.
Rep. Tajudeen Abbas called for the review of relevant Laws to ensure that the causes of the prevalence of out of school children are criminalized and that the problem of school dropouts should be minimized. He proposed two amendments to the prayers of the motion calling for constituency projects to be geared towards the building of properly equipped schools in the constituencies for the next year, and that the House Committee on Labour should join in the investigation.
Rep. Ali Ibrahim called for more concerted efforts on the part of all levels of government to tackle the menace as it is now.
Rep. Nnolim Nnaji blamed poverty for the prevalence of the problem of out of school children. He also called for more resilience on the part of government, parents and wards to ensure basic education is achieved. He called on the government to provide the basic infrastructure to battle the problem.
Rep. Ahmed Jaha blamed negligence and poor governance for the prevailing problem in northern Nigeria. He pointed to poverty alleviation, discouraging early marriages, teenage pregnancy and tackling the porous nature of the Nigerian borders as some specific solutions to the problem.
Rep. Shettima Ali called on the government to provide the environment to make public schools attractive again. He also advocated for better budgetary provision and releases towards educational development, especially for public institutions.
Rep. Wole Oke called for the reawakening of the national pride and patriotism towards teaching and education service delivery. Rep. Oke also blamed some cultures and corruption for the seeming failure of both the secular and Almajiri form of education.
Rep. Musa Sarkin Adah blamed the unpatriotic and corrupt nature of leaders for the failing educational sector and called for a shift from the norm in appreciation, releases and monitoring of funds for the education sector. Rep. Addah also called for better training tactics for schools and that states should adopt better models of enrolling more children in schools and that more public figures should help train more out of school children as their corporate social responsibility.
Rep. Rotimi Agunsoye called on leaders who enjoyed free education years back to encourage free education today too so that the number of out of school children can reduce. He also called for population census and control to ensure adequate planning of resources for individuals.
Rep. Ali Wudil called for the integration of the Almajiri school system into the formal educational system so that it can enjoy proper scrutiny and management.
Rep. Akinfolarin Mayowa called for better commitment of leaders to educational development as it is the bedrock of national socio-economic development.
Rep. Adejare Babatunde stated that overpopulation is a major contributor to the problem of out of school children. He advocated for a better and enforceable birth control policy of the government, especially when the parents are economically constrained.
Rep. Tolulope Sadipe stated that the data of out of school children is alarming. She stressed that not only is education desirable and fundamental, but quality education is much more vital in the prevailing world circumstances. She proposed an amendment calling for the strengthening of the relevant Laws to ensure children within basic school age are not to be made to engage in any other endeavour during school periods and that there be an investigation into all funds appropriated for education infrastructural development. She also lamented the inconsistency of educational policies of some schools aimed at taking financial advantage of parents.
Rep. Thomas Ereyitomi blamed systematic failure, poverty and negligence of policy formulations for the prevailing problem of the out of school children. He called for the practical implementation of education developmental policies to tackle the problem.
Rep. Haruna Dederi expressed sadness at the manner the laudable Almajiri educational system was let to collapse. He called on the private sector to contribute to the reviving of the Almajiri educational system to ensure it functions as it should.
Rep. Miriam Onuoha stated that the plight of a child who seeks education but is financially constrained from doing so is most devastating. She advocated for the adoption of the free basic and compulsory education policy of the government for the out of school children and prayed the relevant committees of the House would ensure compliance. Rep. Babangida Ibrahim clarified that the Federal government is not responsible for basic education, apart from providing the infrastructure, the onus he stated falls to the state and local governments to implement most resolutions of the debate, this point was also reiterated by Rep. Abdulsalam Mubarak.
Rep. Julius Ihonvbere as the Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education thanked members for their contributions to the debate and for proffering solutions. He stated that when the problem is taken seriously with the resolve associated with Nigerians, the issues therein can be effectively tackled. Rep. Ihonvbere called for the implementation of educational development policies of government aimed at tackling the issue. He also called on state governors and heads of local governments to do more to tackle the problem in their states and communities respectively. Rep. Ihonvbere promised that the committee would work hard on the resolutions of the debate.
Rep. Henry Igariwey stated that the main problem is the leeway in the constitution that is being exploited by leaders to shelve their responsibilities to provide free and basic education. He called for the amendment of the relevant sections of the Constitution to ensure it becomes mandatory for states to provide free basic education to Nigerian children resident in the states as the most practical solution.
Rep. Obinna Chidoka bemoaned the lack of adequate data of out of school children, addressing this and implementing informed planning he stated is what is needed to tackle the problem. He called for practical education that will satisfy the peculiar needs of states. Rep. Chidoka also called for a higher budgetary percentage to be appropriated for education and proper scrutiny of such funds appropriated. Rep. Nicholas Ossai called for the implementation of policies that would cure the problem of out of school children as has been implemented in countries such as Indonesia. He also called for the setting up of skill enhancement centres which are practical for effective economic development. Rep. Ossai also agreed with the suggestion of Rep. Tajudeen Abbas to channel some of the constitution projects to educational infrastructure development, as it is a sure way to develop the educational sector.
Rep. Gideon Gwani in rounding up the debate called for more seriousness on the part of those responsible for policy formulation and implementation to practically deal with the problem. Rep. Gwani called for the proper registration and supervision of the Almajiri school system for its proper national management and effective discharge of the school system by the education ministry at the state and federal levels.
Rep. Babangida Ibrahim proposed an amendment to the first prayer of the motion calling on the House Committee on Basic Education to collaborate with relevant government agencies to determine the extent of out of school children, the specific problems in states and proffer the peculiar solutions.
Rep. Mohammed Jega also proposed an amendment to review and reappraise all existing government policies aimed at tackling the issue and see if they are being well implemented and to ensure their effect on the issue.
Rep. Aishatu Dukku proposed an amendment on the establishment of a social reorientation program to discourage the root causes of the problem of out of school children, in addition to the review of the UBEC Act on sanction for handlers of children, found out of school.
Egberongbe Muftau proposed a review of the nation's education curriculum to reflect the prevailing global realities.
Rep Balarabe Shehu Kakale proposed the adoption of the Malaysian and Indonesian solutions to the problem of out of school children in the country.
The Speaker of House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila through the leader of the House, Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa proposed two amendments, the first is that members should take the last weekend in March to hold town-hall meetings with their constituents and local stakeholders to address the issue and proffer a solution to the problem in their localities. The second amendment is aimed at tackling the lack of qualified teachers, to that effect the House should consider the amendment of the National Youth Service Corps Act to allow willing and qualified corp members to be posted as teachers in understaffed regions where the need is, with a commitment from the government to fund such endeavours during their service year, and beyond if need be.
The motion was voted on and adopted as amended.
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Adjournment:
The House at 16:19 adjourned plenary till Tuesday, March 17th, 2020 by 11:00 A.M following a motion for adjournment moved by the Leader of the House, Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa and seconded by the Deputy Minority leader Rep. Toby Okechukwu
The House at 16:19 adjourned plenary till Tuesday, March 17th, 2020 by 11:00 A.M following a motion for adjournment moved by the Leader of the House, Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa and seconded by the Deputy Minority leader Rep. Toby Okechukwu
Courtesy:
Media Unit, Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives
Media Unit, Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives
