President Goodluck Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday said the rot in the nation’s education sector predated his administration and that he had shown enough sincerity in tackling the problems in the sector.
The President said, “There are many challenges such as the rising expectations of teachers resulting in industrial actions. Of course you know we just dealt with the university teachers and now we are left with polytechnic teachers.
“The government has also shown sincerity of purpose to resolve such differences that may arise from some inherited problems not caused by this administration.
“Our commitment is to continue to raise standard and ensure quality. We will continue to encourage private sector investment in the education sector.”
Jonathan spoke at the opening of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria’s 2014 first plenary meeting with the theme, “Church and state partnership in providing quality education for Nigerian people,” held at the Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Abuja.
He reiterated his calls to Christians and indeed all Nigerians to continue to pray for the country, saying he was convinced that the nation remained united despite its challenges because God loves it.
He said he was convinced that God would continue to make way for the country where there seems to be no way.
The President said the Federal Government would always welcome opportunities for dialogue between it and the church and other non-governmental stakeholders to further strengthen the education sector.
He said in a world that had become more competitive, the quality of education available to the citizens impact directly on their countries’ position in the world.
He reiterated his position that the country would overcome the security challenges being encountered in the North-Eastern part of the country and asked for continued prayers.
President of the Senate, David Mark, at the event said that Jonathan went through tremendous pressure before he signed into law the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill 2013 on January 7.
Mark said the pressure came from some of the most powerful nations in the world and that he at a pointed doubted if the President would be able to resist the external pressure.
“I must commend Mr. President for the courage he exhibited because I am aware that at one point, he was under serious and tremendous pressure not to sign that bill into law by some of the most powerful nations on the earth. But he demonstrated courage and patriotism, we must thank him,” the President of the Senate said.
Mark also condemned the killings in the North Eastern part of the country, especially the recent killings of schoolchildren, describing them as unacceptable.
He argued that killing human beings was not the right way to express one’s grievance.
The President of CBCN, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, who is also the Archbishop of Jos, observed that, if approached rightly, the planned national conference would address some knotty issues in the country.
He expressed the belief that issues such as corruption and exorbitant cost of governance would be settled at the conference.
He said, “It (the conference) should not be mainly concerned about debating or agitating for sectional or regional interests, exclusive rights to resources or even the division of the country.
“More pressing issues in educational, medical or infrastructural development, if well addressed, will render all these agitations unnecessary. The conference should truly be concerned about fundamental issues such as how to make our public and civil service officials more accountable, more selfless and more devoted to duties.
“It should ask serious questions and make recommendations about youth social welfare, welfare of pensioners, study how to neutralise an environment saturated with the toxic culture of corruption, the ungodly struggle for political power, the exorbitant cost of governance and above all to evolve effective strategies to avoid the embarrassing terrorist situation brought about by some factors previously neglected.”
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