- Insists Senate must reduce number of out-of-school children
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Thursday condoled with the government and people of Akwa Ibom State and in particular the family of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette, who died on Wednesday.
In his condolence message, Lawan described Chief Ekaette as a thoroughbred bureaucrat who gave his best to the service of Nigeria.
“The late Chief Ufot Ekaette was a thorough-bred bureaucrat and statesman whose meritorious service to the country cannot be over-valued,” Lawan said.
Chief Ekaette who joined the Federal Civil Service in 1964 served in several federal ministries and agencies before becoming the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and later the first Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
“We must reduce out-of-school children”
Meanwhile, Lawan, also on Thursday said the upper chamber will work to reduce the number of out-of-school children across the country.
He made the comment after the Legislative Agenda for the ninth Senate was adopted.
“Today, the education sector suffers a lot. The 11 million or 12 million children out of school, we owe them that responsibility to do something about them. And that is taking us back to the implementation of the basic education Act.
“How do we ensure that we reduce and eliminate the number of out-of-school children on our street? Whatever name we have to give that programme, we have to do something, and government has to take responsibility,” Lawan said.
The Senate President said the government, both at the federal and state levels, will have to create some funds to employ and train more teachers.
He assured that the upper chamber will work assiduously to implement its legislative agenda.
“This legislative agenda is particularly ours. We represent the people, we know their feelings, and we imagine that the legislative perspectives we have here may be slightly different from the executive perspective.
“But at the same time, we are going to serve the same people, and that is where the need for us to come together and to reconcile our thinking on taking Nigeria to the next level will be,” Lawan said.
The Senate resolved that it will tackle youth unemployment, poverty and reform of the educational sector, among other challenges facing the country.
The red chamber said it will channel its energy towards strengthening Basic and Technical Education by enhancing oversight on the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Act.
