Stakeholders Urge Federal Government to Prioritize Public School Investment and Revamp Operations for Improved Performance

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The federal government has been urged to invest more on public schools in the country and rework their operations to bring back their old glory of top performance.

The Planter of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Adamimogo Grace of Mercy Prayer Mountain World Wide, Prophet Sam Olu Alo who gave the advice said such action will ensure quality teaching and learning in all public primary, secondary and higher institutions in the country.

He also called on Nigerian leaders to make deliberate efforts at changing the country for better and the citizens to eschew all forms of corruption for Nigeria to develop.

The renowned cleric spoke in his Ido-Ekiti country home at the weekend during the 2024 edition of his annual empowerment and scholarship award programme for the widows, the aged, youths, students and vulnerable persons in the society.

The prophet also donated a multi million naira industrial borehole to Orin Ekiti community, the home town of his mother.

The man of God who gave out food items, cash and clothing materials to the over 2000 widows, aged and the less privileged also presented cheques to some secondary students in Ekiti state for the payment of their WAEC fees.

Olu Alo said the scheme which has been for over 13 years was in fulfilment of his pledge to God during youthful days that if God can help, bless and show him mercy, he will always use his resources to serve humanity irrespective of their religion or culture.

Speaking on the recently initiated student loan by the federal government, the cleric was of the opinion that no amount of loan given to a student whose school fees is well over one million will be enough.

According to him, “A parent who enrolled his child or children in an institution where they pay N500 000, N700 000 as fees is believed to be sufficient financially.

“If I were to be in government, what I will do is to reintroduce free education policy all public schools to free education for the poor Nigeria and also recruit competent teachers. It is because public schools are not as good as of the times , that is why people now prefer to enroll their children and wards in private schools this days.

“Parents are struggling to send their children to school these days. It will be good if President Bola Tinubu can help rejig public schools by coming up with the policy of free education and recruit quality and competent teachers to be as they were in the olden days , which he himself went through during the time of late Chief Awolowo through which many glorious children were raised.

“You will realized that most of the students that are doing well today in their academics are from private schools. Even when they finish from private secondary schools and go to public universities that means they have been given solid foundation”.

Prophet Olu-Alo who g suggested that that the loan facility be given to the parents and not the students in private universities giving the loans directly to the students may create problems , because the way we reason in this country differ since we are made up of many ethnic groups as a country.

“The highest amount payable as fees in most public universities in the country depending on the courses is around 400,000 naira. while in private universities, we have those paying 1 million and above, so if they should be given loans it may not work .

“I am sure one of the motive of the government on the students loan to only the public universities students is to make public universities attractive to Nigerian parents and their children again.”

For the success of the initiative, he said all the government need to do is to ensure that education from the primary to tertiary in the country are reworked and reintroduce free education and good teachers are recruited

“The teachers welfare and creating conducive learning environment should be prioritized by the government. Public institutions are populated by the children of the poor and the less privileged in the society and government should help invest in their education heavily.

“Can someone be earning N70,000 as salary enrol his children in a school where they pay one million as fee? Even some universities established by church most members cannot afford to send their children there but make do with public institutions for their children.”

On the corruption as clog in the wheel of the nation’s development, he said, “There no is country without corruption and there is no country that cannot change for better.

“The bad thing about our country is our erroneous belief that things cannot get better and people are not ready to give their all to transform the country. This is a major challenge in Nigeria even only prayers can’t solve our problems until all our leaders make deliberate efforts to transform the country.

“Most of the people in government have good thought but spare their times and make decisions that the transformation must begin with me is what they cannot do. That is exactly, where our problem lies in Nigeria. Until is started with a leader, then the challenge will end . Corruption does not start from the top, if it starts from them, people will not be selling their votes during election, taking salaries they didn’t work for and selling commodities with wrong measure, are these not corruption? So, the problem starts from each family, and if things will get better , it will also start from every homes and families”.

An Ido Ekiti community leader, Hon. prophet Afolabi Olurotimi described prophet Olu-Alo as a true man of God who God is using in the development of the community.

He said, ” He has done a lot to contribute to the development of this town. Parts of what he has done is donation of a trailer load of cement for the construction of the community civic centre, donation of a state-of-the-art library to the community, support for widows, aged , youths empowerment. Scholarship to student and establishment of football team and radio state to create job for the teeming unemployed youths”.

Two of the students given money to pay for the WAEC, Omotola Sunday and Akomolafe Ayomide appreciated the man of God for his kind gesture, promising to make the most of the opportunity.

Prophet Olu-Alo promised to sponsor Omotola’s university education if he performed well and come out will flying colours in the external examination.