Lawyer: Alma maters have role to play in revamping Nigeria’s education system 

Haroun Harry Audu, a lawyer and secretary-general of the Barewa Old Boys Association (BOBA), says the alma maters of institutions have an important role in improving the educational sector of the country.

Speaking with reporters at the weekend in Abuja, Audu said revamping the country’s educational system should not be left to the government alone.

The lawyer described the growing number of out-of-school children as a “time bomb” waiting to go off, adding that there is a need to strengthen the country’s educational system.

“I want to raise the clarion call that alma mater groups, like Barewa Old Boys, have an important role in contributing to the well being of their former schools,” he said.

“Barewa college has enjoyed some of these types of intervention by our parents and older brothers who went to the college. Our current generation and the ones behind us also need to emulate that.

“We need to mobilise to understand the need for giving back. If you look at the statistics and data, northern Nigeria is struggling (with education). The whole country is, let’s not pretend about it.

“I have been to every state in this country and in every state you are going to find out-of-school children. In terms of numbers, the north is ahead. It is a time bomb that we need to do something about.”

The BOBA secretary-general said most of the politicians that have been elected since 1999 have made wrong choices as regards education and public health.

“I have said the class of 1999 (politicians) have messed us up big time in terms of their priority, in terms of the decisions they are making in areas in education, public health and public utilities. All of these are suffering, it is a challenge, we have to think as Nigerians who we give the leadership role in the political space to as our representatives,” Audu said.

“Right now, they are unaccountable. In other countries, if you go and do this type of vote (kicking against a bill making it compulsory for public office holders to put their children in public schools) you cannot go back to your constituency office.

“Yes, it (the bill) infringes on the constitution but for crying out loud, it is not a lie that the public educational system is in trouble. So if I’m a representative I should figure out a creative way to solve the problem.”