NEC to declare state of emergency in education

The National Economic Council (NEC) yesterday urged the 36 State Governors to declare state of emergency in the education sector of their respective states to address the rot in the sector.

The call was made at the end of the NEC meeting presided over by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the State House Villa, Abuja yesterday.

Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu who briefed State House Correspondents on the decision was sequel to the consideration of an interim report of an ad-hoc committee on the National Education Policy, Prospects, Challenges and Way Forward of the education sector.

“All Governors to declare a state of emergency in the education sectors of their respective states and demonstrate their commitment to revamping education,” he said.

Assuring that the emergency would be fully implemented, he said: “It’s not going to be one of those documents that will be kept aside, and we are all unanimous in addressing it and all the states have agreed on this.”

He said the council has also resolved that the federal government and States to allocate a minimum of 15 percent of their budgets to education in order to reform the sector.

The Deputy Governor said a Special task force are to be constituted to manage the funds and oversee the infrastructural overhaul of selected schools for intervention across the federation.