KWASU VC Prof M. M. Akanbi SAN making a submission at the hearing
By Is’haq Babatunde
The Kwara State House of Assembly on Monday ( September 20, 2021) held a public hearing on “A Bill for a Law for the Establishment of Kwara State Education Trust Fund and other matters thereto”.
Realising the fact that government alone cannot single handedly shoulder the responsibility of funding Education, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, forwarded the Education Trust Fund Bill to the state House of Assembly for legislation consideration and passage.
In his opening speech at the hearing, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Danladi said the present administration in the state met a loopholes in the Education sector which according to him cannot be rectified immediately.
Danladi who spoke through his Deputy, Hon. Raphael Adetiba, was however confident that the Bill when passed into Law will establish a fund to assist the state with financing of Public Education and provide for the management of the fund and for related matters.
“If this Bill is passed into Law, it will empower the State government to source assistance and partnership from philanthropists, foundations, and corporate bodies to raise funds and help to support in strengthening provision of Educational infrastructure in the state.” Speaker expressed optimism.
The lawmaker expressed hope that contributions of stakeholders would help to drive the implementation of the Bill when passed into Law, pointing out that it’s implementation would bring about rebirth in the state Education sector and make a great impact in human capital development.
Earlier in their separate addresses, the Chairmen House Committees on Tertiary Education, and his Education counterpart, Hon. Wahab Opakunle and Hon. Saliu Muhammed respectively, said the Education Trust Fund Bill is a step in a right direction.
The Public Hearing which is an integral part of the process of passing the Bill into Law, has in attendance various relevant stakeholders such as State Commissioner of Tertiary Education, Commissioner of Education and Human Capital Development, the Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Provosts of Colleges of Education in the state, representatives of Kwara sate Polytechnic.
Other participants at the hearing included representatives from Teaching Service Commission, Parent Teachers Association, Students Unions, College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies, Ministry of Justice, Crown Hill University, Media Advocacy and Technology, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Nigeria Labour Congress, among others.
All oral and written submissions presented were adequately collated by the lawmakers for further legislative actions.
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