Alhaji Waheed Kadiri, a two-term former Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, has criticised the paltry allocation to the education sector in the 2019 fedral budget.
Kadiri told newsmen in Iseyin on Saturday that poor funding could cause loss of confidence in the sector and called for urgent support of stakeholders.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kadiri, a fellow and past President of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP) is the Chairman, Governing Council of SAF Polytechnic, Iseyin.
NAN reports that SAF Polytechnic, the first private polytechnic in Oke-Ogun area of the state, had recently secured NBTE certification to operate.
The institution had on Friday in Iseyin held its maiden matriculation ceremony, where it matriculated 21 students in the Faculties of Engineering, Environmental Studies, Sciences and Financial Management.
“”I implore you to check the 2019 budget and see what was allocated to education. This will send a signal to parents and guardians that studying abroad is the best.
“”This is a stand that I hate to accept. Quality of education in Nigeria is still better and all we need is adequate funding for quality facilities, research, teachers’ emoluments, and other critical areas of need in our institutions.
“”The allocation to education in the budget is not up to 20 per cent. I fear for the future. People may lose respect for our education soon,” Kadiri said.
He described those taking their children abroad for study as unpatriotic Nigerians whose desires are to flaunt their ill-gotten wealth, adding that the performance rate of higher institutions in Nigeria was still above average.
The Ex-Rector called on parents to look at facilities and number of academic staff available at any institution of higher learning before enrolling their wards in such institution.
He said that SAF Polytechnic had gone through the teething period, but was ready to provide quality academic performance that would make their students the pride of Nigeria.
““I still will not look favuorably at the idea of sending children abroad to get good education. It is not a good excuse. We still have the best here.
“”Look at our graduates who travel abroad and see how they perform better than others met over there. It shows that we still have good quality here.
“”I am sure this institution will give other polytechnics a run for their money. We have quality facilities here.
“Our lecturers are ready to impart knowledge on the students who will graduate to make Nigeria proud,” Kadiri said.
Dr Azeez Ganiyu, the Rector of the institution, called on the pioneer students to be good ambassadors of their various families and make the institution proud in both their academic and non-academic activities. (NAN)
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