Senator Salisu, Egba Economic Summit Unite To Eradicate Out-of-school Children Menace

ABEOKUTA – The Senator representing Ogun Central and Chairman of the House Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu has joined hands with the Egba Economic Summit to put an end to the high rate of out-of-school children in the state.

This move was motivated during a capacity building for traditional rulers in Ogun state on Monday, championed by Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, with the theme: Roles in ensuring improved enrolment of students in secondary school education held in Abeokuta.

While reaffirming his commitment to education, Senator Salisu lamented that the enrolment of students in school is going down, urging traditional rulers to champion the campaign and use their strength as traditional rulers.

He maintained that education has remained his pathway to success in his political career.

He said, “so I am focused on our traditional rulers to champion this, to redirect our values. But as I do this as well, I am also aware that I need to do things that will meet the immediate needs of our people.

“But I am focused, I am hoping that my tenure will be remembered as that senator who has used his own life as a template of what education could truly mean in the lives of people. Therefore, I am doing this as part of a deliberate plan to empower my people through education.

“This workshop is in the full glance of my commitment to empowerment through education. You will recollect that a few weeks ago, I called the principals, the teachers, and the students from Ogun Central Senatorial District when the WAEC, NECO, and JAMB examinations were approaching. And I gave them textbooks, gave them bags, gave them maths sets, gave them laptops to prepare them for the exam, including past questions. You will also recollect that every year, I sponsor a thousand candidates for JAMB. I paid for NECO fees, and I paid for WAEC registration fees. But I also realize that I need to carry the critical stakeholders in this quest to advance education in Ogun Central,” Senator Salisu averred.

Delivering her lecture, Professor Olajumoke Familoni, a distinguished member of the Egba Economic Summit and guest speaker ofnthe occasion blamed the high rate of out-of-school children on the financial incapability of parents and unnecessary competition.

Prof. Familoni, on her topic theme: resolving the declining education standards in Egbaland; the role of traditional rulers in reviving the “Omoluabi culture”, noted that the era of Yahoo made most of the children not see value in education again.

She posited that many of the GenZ believed that education was a scam and that 10.5 million children aged 5 to 14 were out of school.

Prof. Familoni recommended that traditional rulers should organize town hall meetings for parents and teachers.

She also recommended that women should be encouraged to form a cooperative majorly to support children’s education through saving, forming a community soldier to ensure students and parents are accountable for out-of-school children, and also developing community incubators for vocational skills.

Also, in his goodwill messages, the President, Egba Economic Summit, Mr. Yinka Coker commended Sen. Salisu for his move, describing it as a symbolic and powerful expression of unity between the Egba heritage and future.

He posited that Egba Economic Summit is particularly pleased to associate with this important programme, which is being held in furtherance of Senator Salisu’s Educational Support Interventions.

“The focus of this programme—on the critical role of our traditional institutions—is both timely and strategic. As custodians of our values and influencers of our communities, our royal fathers have a unique and powerful role to play in championing education. When our traditional rulers speak, the people listen. When they act, the people follow.”

While declaring the workshop open, the Alake and paramount of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, stated that any monarch who refused to embrace morality and shun social vice should go on exile.

He posited that traditional rulers are meant to champion good character and competent role models to their subjects.

He urged all the traditional rulers to go back home and work from the grassroots to ensure that out-of-school children get back to school and get proper access to education in their respective jurisdictions.