One major casualty of our pseudo democracy over the years is the Education sector. The sector has been underfunded by some administrations and has been completely overlooked by others. To show how terrible the state of education in Nigeria has become the recent WAEC result is the quickest pointer. According to WAEC 83% of candidates failed meaning they were unable to record the minimum credit in compulsory subjects like mathematics and English language.

This is a damming verdict on our education sector. Our political players at state and federal levels have always paid lip service to the sector, therefore the rot continues unabated. The current administration of President Buhari has done absolutely nothing for the Education sector. Time and time they’ve always thrown it in our face that their campaign promises was hinged on security, economy and corruption however the jury is out on the three. We are doing badly!

The current state of education in Nigeria will soon get worse and its start from Ondo state going by the decision of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to impose a fee increment on all state owned tertiary institutions. According to him “the thirty five thousand fee being paid especially in Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba is too small that it can’t buy a shoe” therefore there should be an increment as government can’t meet its financial responsibility to the schools.

However going by the indices on ground, the state government is not showing is being disingenuous. Education cannot be a source of IGR to the state as it is a social service offered by the government to the citizens. The Ondo state government has tried to justify its decision as hinged on the paucity of funds, however even a cursory examination of the state’s finances suggests otherwise. Ondo state government collects monthly allocations from the Federal government, the state also generates over 1 Billion monthly while it also take part in the 13% oil derivation fund which are monthly earnings.

According to the Ondo 2018 budget, the state is to spend a whooping 1.2 Billion to procure vehicles for political office holders among other amorphous spendings in the budget which shows the state is not experiencing any paucity. Also the state owned institutions especially Adekunle Ajasin University charges all newly admitted students the sum of fifty four thousand Naira as acceptance fee, so where is the paucity of funds coming from?

The state Governor has said repeatedly that he won’t increase the school fees during his campaigns, now he has backtracked that Adekunle Ajasin University is the only low tuition institution in the South West while others are not, it is important for the Governor to note that different state has its priorities. For a state like Ondo that has been at the forefront of educational development in the South West over the years, it has no reason to join others by increasing its school fees.

Education is the only social services the poor are benefiting from the state government, Akeredolu should not take it away.

tosin adesina