Buhari tasks stakeholders on ending corruption, sexual harassment in tertiary institutionsof security challenges on our schools, I signed the Safe Schools Declaration ratification document in December 2019.
“The Federal Ministry of Education followed up and developed the Minimum Standard for Safe Schools document in 2021, all part of the Safe Schools Initiative.
“The Safe Schools Initiative is an expression of government’s commitment to continue to work towards the protection of students, teachers and the school environments,’’ he added.
Buhari commended the ICPC for investigating and prosecuting sexual harassment as abuse of power in educational institutions.
“I approve and encourage them to continue to do so,’’ he noted.
The president assured that the government would continue to fund education within realistically available revenue.
He urged stakeholders, including the media to equally advocate for transparency in the amount generated as internally generated revenue by educational institutions and how such funds are expended.
“Corruption in the expenditure of internally generated revenue of tertiary institutions is a matter that has strangely not received the attention of stakeholders in tertiary education, including unions.
“I call on stakeholders to demand accountability in the administration of academic institutions and for unions to interrogate the bloated personnel and recurrent expenditure of their institutions.
“Let me also implore the Unions to work with government to put faces and identities to names on the payroll,’’ he added.
According to the president, the government will continue to guarantee access and establish minimum benchmarks for quality education.
“Due to declining resources, government cannot bear the cost of funding education alone.
“I task our academics to attract endowments, research and other grants to universities, polytechnics and colleges of education similar to what obtains in other countries.
“About two weeks ago, I participated in the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly, in New York. One of the key events was Transforming Education Summit Leaders Day, titled: Transforming Education to Transform the World: Learning to Live Together Sustainably.
“Nigeria joined other countries in committing ‘to the vision of Education for Sustainable Development and to the objectives of the Greening Education Partnership’ and building ‘education systems that foster ethical and socially responsible global citizens’ who actively contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.
“That is a vision which we will continue to aspire and build,’’ Buhari stated.
He congratulated the sole winner of 2022 Public Service Integrity Award, Superintendent Daniel Amah, who rejected the sum of 200,000 dollars to drop a case, and followed up with investigations until the culprit was prosecuted.
“I also commend the Chairman, ICPC, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Registrar of JAMB, for organizing this summit and bringing together the three arms of Government, MDAs and other stakeholdersto deliberate on corruption in the educational sector of Nigeria.’’
Buhari noted that he was pleased to have participated in each of the previous summits organized by the current Board of the ICPC, in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, targeting different aspects of the administration’s commitment to fight corruption.
“From inception, this administration has consistently made the fight against corruption a cardinal pillar of its comprehensive commitments and agenda to reform the nation.
“We signed up to the Open Government Partnership and adopted the Open Government Declaration under which we committed to have robust anticorruption policies, mechanisms and practices that ensure transparency in the management of public finances and procurement, and to strengthen the rule of law.
“We have tried in the last seven years to keep faith with these commitments,’’ he added.
In his remarks, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the education sector had steadily assumed a pariah status because of corruption that erodes values and resources.
He noted that education had become an enabler of corruption, instead of a tool for reforms and molding character.
According to him, corruption is eroding the practical purpose of education at all levels, primary, secondary and tertiary.
The SGF urged leaders in the education sector to emulate the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Olarewaju Oloyede, who had provided “good example of anti-corruption leadership.’’
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said: “JAMB is without doubt one of the parastatals that has achieved what no other agency has achieved by extending the boundaries of transparency and accountability in public service.’’
He said corruption was a manifestation of educational failure in society.
In keynote address, former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, said perception of corruption corrodes the nation’s image among nations,
According to him, corruption stymies development, drains resources and weakens social contract with the people.
Buhari was presented with an award of “Anti-Corruption Icon’’ by the Chairman and Board of the ICPC. (NAN)