Alumni members of the Federal Government College, Idoani in Ondo State, have called on the federal government to increase funding for unity colleges across the country.
This is as they also admonished President Muhammadu Buhari to fund the education sector adequately.
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Nigeria currently has 110 unity schools spread across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
While addressing the press during the award ceremony organised by the Federal Government College Idoani Alumni Association in Abuja recently, a professor of biochemistry at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Folashade Olajuyigbe, said the government needed to devote a part of its budget towards the revitalisation of schools.
“We need to pump more funds into the education sector. If not, the sector will continue to get worse and their own children will be travelling abroad even for secondary education,” he said.
While noting that ASUU members are on strike because of issues bordering on revitalisation and others, he said, “This is the same thing with unity colleges.
“Some years ago, teachers in unity colleges were on strike; the demands were not met but still the teachers resumed work. These days’ people withdraw their children from unity schools and take them to private schools. However, these schools can still be revitalised depending on how well we value education.”
Also speaking at the event, the president of the Abuja chapter of the alumni association, Brigadier-General Dele Arogundade, said unity schools were founded on the right principles and that the original purposes are still there.
