BEING A PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY PRINCE BOLARIN FRIDAY OGUNGBEMI, PUBLISHER, THE POLICY AND LAWMAKERS MAGAZINE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE IN LOKOJA ON 10th SEPTEMBER, 2025.
A CALL TO SAVE KOGI STATE’S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
The educational sector at both national and sub-national levels has for long suffered a lot of set back as a result of the failure of governments, through the appropriate agencies, to effectively carry out their Constitutional functions and roles as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The current decadence in our primary education across Kogi State culminating from poor funding has remained a persistent challenge which has significantly impacted on accessibility of qualitative educational services.
This (Inadequate funding), has also resulted in cases of dilapidated infrastructure, insufficient learning materials, and shortage of qualified teachers, ultimately hindering the state’s human capital development.
The current astronomical increase of over 100% in the tuition fees of students in Kogi-owned tertiary institutions is another straw that breaks the Camel’s back and elicits serious concerns.
These astronomical increases in tuition fees will make life difficult and unbearable for the students from struggling backgrounds as they will definitely find it difficult to cope with the payment.
This development, will not only amount to denying them their fundamental rights to education but dash their hope for a brighter tomorrow.
There is therefore, urgent call for the state government’s intervention, to subject the new tuition fees to review in consideration of the present economic state of the people.
The institutions include:-
1. Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba
2. Confluence University of Science Technology (CUSTECH), Osara.
3. Kogi State University (KSU), Kabba.
4. Kogi State Polytechnic (KSP), Lokoja
The standard of education across the nation has nose-dived with poor funding of the sector as the major culprit but not without the aid of other factors like inadequacy of teachers, lack of motivation, poor infrastructure and learning materials.
Among others are the lack of basic infrastructures like classrooms, libraries, and laboratories, which even where available, are often poorly equipped.
Failure of government to prioritize Education due to sustained high level of misappropriation at all levels of government with the resultant little or no investment in the sector and hiccups in policy implementation have collectively frustrated educational development in the state.
For instance I can authoritatively say there have been shortages of teachers in all the primary schools in the 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi State from the past 10 years.
In addition, the existing teachers are ill-motivated, with poor conditions of service ranging from salary irregularity, salary insufficiency, poor physical environment to poor promotion implementation and percentage payment in the last few years (2016 – 2023).
The Kogi State educational system requires urgent, intervention, innovative and practical reform to bring it in line with international best practices, and relevance.
On the issue of Secondary School education in Kogi State it is another long story of neglect and failure to enact and implement right policies at that level.
In the past 34 years of the existence of Kogi State, every successive administration has not thought it wise, necessary, expedient, to establish new secondary Schools in 21 Local Government Areas of the State.
Available records have shown that most secondary schools in the state are ill-staffed, suggesting a dire need for recruitment as available data revealed that the state was in need of 9,948 teachers at this level in year, 2022.
The previous administration of for we Governor Yahaya Bello gave approval for the recruitment of about 4,000 teachers in 2023 out of which about 1,000 were recruited. Presently however, many of those employed then have left the state service for greener pasture as at 2024.
As it is today, secondary schools in the state require more than 9,000 teachers.
The plausible policy of government increasing the retirement age and years of service to 65 and 40 years respectively failed to clinch the desired result as a result of government’s failure to adequately cash back the promotions of serving teachers who may choose to proceed on retirement after 35 years of service.
Secondly, the state government’s policy on programmed computation of retirement schedule of civil servants has successfully flushed out teachers who should ordinarily benefit from the five years extension, thereby making the policy a huge failure.
If the government sincerely wants to effectively implement the newly Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Law, it should direct necessary circulars to appropriate and concerned authorities.
It should redirect the Ministries, Departments and Agencies handling the removal of names of civil servants from the payroll immediately they clock 35 years in the service to spare teachers.
The provisions of this law in Section 2 says, “Teachers in Nigeria shall compulsorily retire on attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier.”
Section 3 reads, “The Public Service Rule or any legislation that requires a person to retire from the public service at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service shall not apply to Teachers in Nigeria.
Therefore by the provisions of this law the old order of 35 years in service or 60 years old is no longer applicable or sacrosanct to teachers in Nigeria.
Equally It is sad to note that 34 years after the creation of Kogi State, every successive government has failed to establish additional secondary schools within Lokoja metropolis despite the ever increasing, bloated population in the state capital.
CONCLUSION:
The educational sector in Kogi State is in crisis due to poor funding, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient learning materials.
The recent over 100% increase in tuition fees in state-owned tertiary institutions will deny struggling students access to education.
Key Concerns:
– Poor funding and infrastructure
– Insufficient learning materials and qualified teachers
– Astronomical tuition fee increase
– Neglect of primary and secondary education
Demands:
– Review of tuition fees
– Increased funding for education
– Recruitment of qualified teachers
– Implementation of Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers Law
Call to Action:
We urge the Kogi State government to prioritize education, redefine its priorities, and stop playing lip service to the sector.
The government must take urgent action to address these issues and ensure quality education for all.
Thank you.
*Friday Ogungbemi is a Lokoja – based Journalist.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
