The Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, Justice Sidi Bage (rtd), has issued a strong call for parents and guardians who fail to send their children to school to be treated as criminals. He argued that this negligence is a primary driver of social problems, particularly in northern Nigeria.
A "Sick" System and a Call for Criminalisation
Speaking on Thursday at a Basic Education Summit organised by the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) in Lafia, the former Supreme Court Justice described the current state of basic education in Nigeria as "sick." He urged governments and stakeholders to collaborate with traditional institutions to restore public confidence in schools and revive the system.
"For anyone who has a child and that child is roaming about in the street, you need to criminalise this," Justice Bage declared. He emphasised that many of those causing societal issues, especially in the north, are not held accountable. "All of them that are causing this problem, especially in the northern part of Nigeria, it is because they are not treated as criminals," he stated.
The royal father nostalgically recalled the colonial era when traditional rulers were directly involved in education, noting that Nigeria's system then compared favourably with those in Europe and North America.
NSUBEB Exposes Deep-Rooted Challenges
In his address, the Executive Chairman of NSUBEB, Kassim Muhammad-Kassim, revealed alarming findings from two committees he established upon assuming office. The investigations uncovered widespread issues crippling learning outcomes across the state.
The major problems identified include:
- A severe shortage of qualified teachers in classrooms.
- Illegal promotions and overstaffing in local government education offices.
- Irregular loan deductions by banks from teachers' salaries.
- High rates of teacher absenteeism.
- A critical lack of teaching and learning materials.
- Vandalism of school infrastructure.
Muhammad-Kassim disclosed a shocking detail: about 3,000 qualified teachers had illegally secured postings to local government education offices instead of being in classrooms. Of this number, 1,900 have already been redeployed to schools, with another 1,000 to follow. To further address the teacher deficit, Governor Abdullahi Sule has approved the recruitment of an additional 1,000 teachers.
Following committee recommendations, the state has purchased 30,000 tables and chairs for public schools. The NSUBEB chairman issued a stern warning to parents, Fulani leaders, and Islamic teachers (mallams), mandating that all children aged four to fifteen must be in school daily between 7:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. "Any child between four and fifteen years must not be seen on the street during school hours in Nasarawa State again," he asserted.
Summit Prescribes Solutions and Governor's Commitment
Lead paper presenter, Prof. Tonnie Iredia, added his voice to the call for stricter measures, stating that the diversion of school resources should be treated as a criminal offence. He advocated for the promotion of healthy competition among local governments, schools, and education offices to drive performance improvements.
Declaring the summit open, Governor Abdullahi Sule commended the NSUBEB leadership for its diligent efforts in identifying systemic challenges and pushing for reforms. He reiterated his administration's unwavering commitment to providing free education from primary to senior secondary school, which includes the payment of National Examination Council (NECO) fees for students.
"Whatever investment we can make in education is worth it," Governor Sule stated, stressing the need for sustained commitment from all stakeholders to tackle the educational challenges facing Nasarawa State.
