…DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY ON EDUCATION SECTOR, ONDO ASSEMBLY ADVICES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Worried by the prolonged strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union (ASUU)and the gradual decline of the educational sector in Nigeria,
Ondo State House of Assembly has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the sector.
The call was made at a plenary presided over by the Speaker,Rt Hon.Oleyelogun Bamidele.
The Majority leader, Hon.Oluwole had earlier moved the motion for the matter to be discussed on the floor of the house and seconded by Hon. Adeyemi Olayemi.
Adding his voice,the lawmaker representing Akoko south West Constituency 1, Hon Olugbenga Omole, appreciated the Speaker for bringing such matter to the floor, saying that keeping students at home for such a long time is disheartening and condemnable.
According to him, the Federal Government should take the issue of education with all sense of seriousness, stressing that no meaningful development can take place when adequate attention is not given to education.
Having carefully listened to the different reactions of the lawmakers,the Speaker appealed to the federal Government and ASUU to find a lasting solution to the lingering crisis between them in the interest of the country.
Oleyelogun who described education as the bedrock of national development, lamented that apart from the fact that the strike has made the youth to lose faith in Education,it has also given room for some of them to get involved in negative vices that may compromise their future as leaders of tomorrow.
The house later ,unanimously passed a resolution through voice vote that the Federal Government should urgently go back to the drawing board with a view to finding amicable solution to the crisis.
Earlier a bill to amend the law for the Ondo State education Endowment fund Law 2022 was passed into law.
The passage followed the submission of a report by the Chairman, House committee on Education,Hon.Simon Borokini for consideration and approval.
The Speaker later ruled for the bill to become law after a motion was moved by the majority leader of the House, Hon.Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi and seconded by Hon.kuti Towase.
In another development, the House passed a resolution on the need for the State government to devise a non-traditional approach of paying accumulated gratuities to pensioners in Ondo State.
Presenting the matter to the floor.
Hon.Felemu Gudubankole expressed the negative effect of not paying the senior citizens as at when due, saying that many of them have died waiting for gratuities.
It was unanimously agreed upon by the lawmakers that Ondo State Government should enter into partnership with a viable financial Institution with a view to paying the accumulated gratuity.
The Speaker,Rt.Hon Oleyelogun thanked the Governor of the State for his transparency and care for the welfare of the citizens of Ondo State, saying that the accumulated gratuity was inherited from his predecessors.
He later announced that the house would embark on recess, starting from Wednesday, August 17th,2022 as this would enable them attend to oversight functions and undergo medical checkups.
Plenary was adjourned Sine die.
Akogun Olugbenga Omole
Chairman,House Committee on Information,Youth and Sports Development.
16th August,2022.
