The federal government has been urged to invest more in public schools across the country and to revamp their operations to restore their former reputation for excellence.
Prophet Sam Olu Alo, the head of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Adamimogo Grace of Mercy Prayer Mountain Worldwide, gave this advice, emphasising that such action will ensure quality teaching and learning in all public primary, secondary, and higher institutions in Nigeria.
He also called on Nigerian leaders to make deliberate efforts to improve the country, urging citizens to reject all forms of corruption to foster national development.
The renowned cleric spoke at his home in Ido-Ekiti over the weekend during the 2024 edition of his annual empowerment and scholarship award program, which supports widows, the elderly, youth, students, and vulnerable members of society.
During the event, the prophet donated a multi-million naira industrial borehole to the Orin Ekiti community, his mother’s hometown. He distributed food items, cash, and clothing to over 2,000 widows, the elderly, and the less privileged, as well as presented cheques to secondary students in Ekiti State to cover their WAEC exam fees.
Olu Alo explained that the scheme, which has been in place for over 13 years, fulfills his pledge to God during his youth to use his resources to serve humanity, regardless of their religion or culture.
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Commenting on the recently initiated student loan program by the federal government, the cleric expressed doubt that any amount of loan would be sufficient for students whose school fees exceed one million naira. He stated, “A parent who enrolls their child in a school charging N500,000 or N700,000 as fees is often considered financially capable.”
He suggested that if he were in government, he would reintroduce a free education policy in all public schools for low-income Nigerian families and recruit qualified teachers. “Public schools are not performing as well as they did in the past, which is why many parents now prefer to send their children to private schools,” he said.
“Parents are struggling to afford their children’s education. It would be beneficial if President Bola Tinubu could reform public schools by implementing a free education policy and recruiting quality and competent teachers, reminiscent of the times of late Chief Awolowo, during which many successful individuals were educated.”
Prophet Olu-Alo noted that most students excelling academically today come from private schools. “When these students enter public universities, they already have a solid foundation.”
He further suggested that the student loans should be given to parents instead of students attending private universities, as directly loaning students may create challenges due to the diverse reasoning across the country’s ethnic groups.
“The highest tuition fees in most public universities are around 400,000 naira, while many private universities charge over one million naira. Offering loans to students in private universities may not be effective,” he argued.
He believes that one motive behind the government’s focus on student loans for public university students is to make these institutions more appealing to Nigerian parents and their children.
For this initiative to succeed, he insisted that the government must rework education from primary to tertiary levels, reintroduce free education, and ensure qualified teachers are hired. “Teachers’ welfare and creating a conducive learning environment should be priorities for the government,” he stated.
“Public institutions mainly serve children from less privileged backgrounds, and the government should make substantial investments in their education. It is unrealistic for someone earning N70,000 as a salary to enroll their children in schools charging one million naira in fees.”
Regarding corruption as a hindrance to national development, he remarked, “No country is free from corruption, but all countries have the potential to improve. The major problem in Nigeria is the widespread belief that things cannot improve, coupled with people’s unwillingness to contribute to the country’s transformation. This challenge persists until leaders commit to initiating change themselves.”
He concluded, “Most government officials have good intentions but fail to act on the principle that transformation must start with them. This is the core of Nigeria’s problems. Until change begins with a leader, challenges will continue.”
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