THE Imo State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Comas Ilechukwu has warned that the transformational agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan's administration may end up as mere lip service if it does not, as a matter of urgency, aggressively mobilize funds into the Education sector.Decrying the three per cent budgetary allocation to the sector, as against the 26 per cent approved by the United Nation Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO)he stressed the need to mobilize all available funds into youth development in the country.The clergyman made the call yesterday at aSpecial Service and Prayers for Nigeria, organized by the Charismatic Renewal Ministries (CRM) which held at the National Christian Center in Abuja.He said: 'Education is the greatest investment any nation can ever make, investment in knowledge always pays the best interest, there is an urgent need to develop our intellectual capital so as make vision 202020 a reality'.He pointed out that paucity of funds in the sector has resulted in poor emolument to teachers, little or no scholarship to students, inability to give loan or bursary to students, thereby making education unattractive to the students. These according to him has resulted in mass examination failures.Lamenting that Nigeria does not have the technological infrastructure to grow the education sector, the clergy called on President Jonathan to step out in bold faith and act as a good father of the youth in the same manner he does to his biological children.Ilechuckwu who also doubles as the General Overseer of (CRM) described as unacceptable statistics by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics that 49.9 per cent and 39.6 per cent of youths living in the urban and rural areas respectively are unemployed,He maintained that a country that has 60 per cent of its population as youths, should prioritize the development of its youths, adding that effective youth empowerment begins with quality education. He submitted that youths cannot be patriotic to a government that is not responsive to their needs.Stating that a nation cannot deal with poverty until it has attacked the intellectual poverty in the country, he urged government to make primary and secondary education compulsory and prosecute any parent whose children are not in school.Ilechukwu who said that uneducated and unskilled youth is the most destructive element the nation can abhor noted that increased investment in the sector would ensure peace and harmony.Mentioning that education makes people easy to lead, he said 'Nigeria cannot develop unless it takes aggressive and holistic approach in the education of its people.
Click here to read full news..
