The House of Representatives at plenary session on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 has urged the Federal Ministry of Education and Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory to urgently carry out an audit of Primary and Secondary Schools in the FCT to identify those that lack the basic facilities and conducive environment required of a learning institution. The Committees on Basic Education and Services, and Federal Capital Territory have been mandated to ensure implementation of the resolution.
The directive came on the heels of a motion calling on the appropriate authorities to quickly address the paucity of basic learning infrastructure in schools located in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, moved by Hon. Blessing Nsiegbe. She stated that despite the huge amount of fund usually appropriated for education in the FCT every fiscal year, we continue to observe shortage of teachers and facilities such as classrooms, furniture and other materials to cater for over 160 junior secondary schools with an enrollment figure of over 116,585 students and about 559 primary schools (including the Nomadic schools) with an enrollment figure of 214,929 pupils.
She stated that the relocation of the Federal capital to Abuja and return of democracy heralded an influx of people into the territory, especially civil servants and politicians, a development that over stretched the educational infrastructure in the territory; adding that to ensure that children attend schools to obtain quality education, there is great need to address the current situation.
In another motion raised by Hon. Johnson Egwakhide Oghuma, the House passed a directive, mandating the Committee on Interior to investigate the abuse of expatriate quotas due to alleged connivance of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) with some foreign Companies in Nigeria. The mover of the motion had informed that owing to the failure of the Nigeria Immigration Service to effectively police the nation’s borders, expatriates illegally enter the country.
“While some others use official entry points in the guise of being expatriates and take up jobs that Nigerians have the skills to undertake, thus worsening the unemployment situation in the country and the trend is not likely to abate unless the illegal entry points are closed and the failure of the Immigration Service to monitor the borders is addressed”, he added. The Committee is to report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
