NaijaPositive.com

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

School Levies Abolition - Residents Commend FCT Minister

Daily Trust
Usman A. Bello
12 October 2007

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have commended the minister of the territory Dr Aliyu Moddibo, for the cancelling all form of fees and levies in primary schools within the territory. The residents who spoke to City News on the issue said the development was an indication that the new minister had the interest of the masses at heart, as according to them it would reduce their burden and afford them the opportunity to concentrate on training children in secondary and higher institutions.

Malam Abubakar Abdullahi of Jabi village, said he is happy about the minister gesture, saying it would alleviate their suffering and enable many children to acquire primary education. He asserted that many children who were withdrawn from school would now go back to school. "If the past minister had carried out such a gesture, life would have been easier in the city" he said. Moses Osaruyime, a civil servant said the idea is good as the government is talking about education for all by 2020. He said if the nation is to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) , education should be made free at all level so that the children of the poor could have access to quality education.

"Many children hawking in the streets of Abuja during school time are doing so because their parents have no money to send them to school, but with this development they will have to go back to school. The minister should be commended for the good gesture" he said. He however called on the various state governments to emulate the minister of FCT, as according to him, the country has enough resources to undertake the programme.

Another resident, Zekeri Inanigie, said the minister's gesture was a step in the right direction. According to him, for the Universal Basic Education (UBE) to have effect on the country's literacy level, both primary and secondary education has to be made free. "He is not the first minister to administer the city; this shows we still have public officers who are ready to serve the people and not only their pocket" he said. He called on the minister to extend the "no school fees and levies" policy to the secondary school level.

Copyright © 2007 Daily Trust

_________________
May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm