A former National Secretary of Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Chief Seinde Arogbofa, has called for the establishment of a secondary school commission to address its dwindling fortune in the country.
Arogbofa stated this at the inauguration of an administrative block and renovated science laboratories at Community Comprehensive High School, Ikaram-Akoko, built by the Old Students’ Association, on Sunday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that only secondary school education appears to have been left without a regulatory commission in the country.
The Afenifere member decried the rate at which the standard of education was nose-diving in Nigeria, owing to poor planning and inadequate funding.
Arogbofa, a retired secondary school principal, said the government should expedite action on establishing a commission for secondary school education in the country.
The commission, according to him, will boost the administration of post-primary education and improve the quality and standard of education in the country.
“Unless governments at all levels adhere to the recommendations of appropriating 20 per cent of the total annual budget and above to education, there may not be an end to the crises in the sector,” he said.
Arogbofa commended the old students’ association, led by Mr Olurotimi Williams-Daudu, for giving back to the school, noting that government alone could not solve the infrastructure and equipment deficits in public schools.
Williams-Daudu, who is the Chief Registrar, National Industrial Court, commended members of the association for their collective desire and readiness to contribute to restoring and adding to the structures in the school.
Williams-Daudu, represented by his wife, Dr Funmilola Williams-Daudu, appreciated the Executive Secretary of National Judicial Council, Ahmed Saleh, for his commitment to improving the standard of education in the school.
“I have been at the forefront of making contributions, while members of the association have also been very fantastic in responding to our calls for financial contributions.
“Not only that, a number of my friends across the country have also been supportive,” he said.
Williams-Daudu announced the naming of the building after Saleh as a way of appreciating his contributions towards the execution of the project.
The Principal of the school, Mr Adebisi Adesina, commended and appreciated the old students for turning around the fortune of their alma mater.
“The old students are just fantastic and passionate about the future of the current students in the school.
“They have renovated dilapidated buildings and today, we are inaugurating a world-standard administrative building and a block of science laboratories which they facilitated.
“These great people have placed some of our indigents but brilliant students on scholarship, while they have also hired teachers for the school,” he said.
The principal, however, called on the state government to send more teachers to the school and equip the laboratories so that the efforts of the old students would not be in vain.
Afenifere/NAN…
