The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity), Sahara Deck – Abuja City Centre has called on the government to invest more in education.
The Capoon, Sahara Deck, Mr. Olamide Oni, made the call during a press briefing commemorating the 2022 International Literacy Day, themed: Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces in Abuja.
Oni, who said what goes into education in the country was paltry, also called for the enforcement of compulsory education, especially at the primary level.
He said the Association was appalled that over 52,000 children are currently out of school in Abuja, and out of 40.8 million children of school age in Nigeria, 10.2 million children are estimated to be out of school.
He said, “I think the only compulsory education for now is primary school but it is not enforced. Government must enforce and ensure that every child is in school. They should put measures in place to ensure that we don’t have street hawkers who are kids that are supposed to be in school. There should be sanctions for defaulters.
“Also the government should invest in education. What goes into our education every year is a paltry sum compared to what we budget for the entire running of the country in a year. Where government invests more is actually universities. Government has completely neglected primary and secondary school education,” he said.
Oni said as part of activities to mark the day Sahara Deck donated reading and writing items as well as installed 10 tile boards for 10 classrooms for pupils of Government Secondary School, Kuje.
“Those classrooms are currently dilapidated and are not befitting for students to sit and learn. As an organization we have limited resources. What we can do is do our own bit and at the same time amplify these deficiencies and call on the relevant government agencies to take care of these issues,” he said.
Reading a statement at the briefing, he said, “The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity), Sahara Deck – Abuja City Centre, has aligned itself with UNESCO and other progressive groups to commemorate the 2022 International Literacy Day, themed: Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces.
“Through its previous advocacy programs to promote literacy in the Nigerian polity and specifically, within the Abuja Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and environs, NAS – Sahara Deck launched the ‘Adopt-a-child’ project in December 2021 to address the issue of out of school children within the FCT.
“We have previously adopted Karu orphanage home, Karu, Abuja; where we donated books to equip their library, as well as computers and Air conditioners to create a conducive learning environment for the kids in the orphanage.
“In marking this year’s International Literacy Day, NAS Sahara Deck had opted to donate some reading and writing materials to a school in the Kuje Community in Abuja. The decision to start with a school in the Kuje Area Council was borne out of a sample taken from schools in the suburbs, which revealed that they lack adequate learning materials.
“We are further appalled by the available statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), that over 52,000 children are currently out of school in Abuja. And out of 40.8 million children of school age in Nigeria, 10.2 million children are estimated to be out of school.
“Sahara Deck under my leadership would also engage with the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, and the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, to increase school enrolment to take more children away from the streets and sponsor them up till Senior secondary school of learning.
“By observing the International Literacy Day, as commemorated around the world every 8 September, we are simply sustaining the tempo across the globe to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of human dignity and human rights and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society as championed by UNESCO.”
The 2nd Vice President, Sahara Deck, Chike Onyia, said the portal Mr Chike Onyia, said the association was working on establishing a portal where Nigerians could visit and contribute to helping children go to school.
“What it entails is that Nigerians can go on it and also contribute their quota towards helping the children and bring them from the streets. We are creating a platform where all Nigerians can go though and help out. We need to make sure our children go to school and they progress in life.”
Public Relations Officer, Sahara Deck, Stanley Nwankwo, added that the essence of the “Adopt a child” project was to take a good number of children off the streets.
“As an advocacy organization we are urging the relevant stakeholders and authorities to key in and do what they ought to do. Apart from having a direct contact with these out of school children we are also providing learning materials to schools we have identified that need them. These are some of the things we are trying to do to project the importance of education in our society,” he said.
An elder in the Association, Obiekwe Amaechi, there was a need for a long term solution to the problem of out of school children, hence the need for such a platform.
“Our children are being produced on a daily basis. We need to put in place a long term solution. That is why we are talking about developing a proper website so that it would be self-sustaining. We are trying to put up a system that would outlive all of us. That is the long term solution that we are bringing on board.
“It is the primary responsibility of government, at least at the basic level. It makes a lot of difference. Once you miss it at that primary level, you probably would have lost that person. But once that basic education is guaranteed not just by word of mouth, then we are sure of the bright future.
“We know the government has responsibilities that is why an organization like ours is coming in so it would be responsibility of every citizen. Let us not forget that part of the issues we are suffering today is a result of the negligence, because we have not done what we are supposed to do in terms of giving this basic education to our people.
“Children are dropping out and once they drop out anything can happen. When I say anything, mostly negatively, and that is why we are having all the challenges we are having in this country. So we are trying to put in place a long term sustainable system that would encourage other citizens. We are trying to play a complementary role,” Amaechi said.