Gabriel Dike
The Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA) has made a passionate appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to consider one of its members as the new Minister of Education.
The President-General of USOSA, Mr. Lawrence Wilbert, stated this in a statement made available to our correspondent after the 35th plenary session of the old students held in Lagos.
He said the plenary recognised USOSA’s important role as a guardian of Nigeria’s national ethos, and considered the significant investments that USOSA and its member alumni associations have made across the 104 unity schools over the last three decades.
According to him, as a major stakeholder in Nigeria’s public sector education, and given the diverse professional backgrounds of its membership, and their commitment to the unity and progress of Nigeria, it is now time for the Federal government to look in the direction of USOSA’s over one million members, for a relevant competent professional to serve as the next minister of education.
”The rich educational background, internalisation of national ethos, the passionate enthusiasm, driven by an emotional commitment to a public sector education system that works for all, puts Unity College graduates in prime position to drive Federal government ongoing public secondary education reforms.”
Also, he explained that the plenary of USOSA reviewed the state of the nation, especially the persistent and escalating insecurity in the country, and considered the role of the nation’s human resource diversity as a security advantage.
Wilbert further noted that the session considered the role of unity schools as a melting pot for engineering, socio-political and religious tolerance amongst Nigeria’s peoples, and reiterated the need for sustained reforms and reinforcement of public sector education, as Nigeria’s best approach to protecting the future integrity of the unity of Nigeria and her diverse peoples.
Said he: ”As a community of graduates from the Federal government secondary schools that have benefitted immensely from the unity school concept and a functional public sector education system, with demonstrable track records for consistent support and partnerships with the Federal Ministry of Education, we call on President Buhari to consider naming an ex-student of the Unity Schools as the next minister of education.
”This will help his administration harness the Pro Unitate commitment, professional expertise, working knowledge, and national integration experience that abound within the Unity Schools alumni community, and maximise the partnership potentials for the good of public sector education.”
He disclosed that USOSA is willing to make its database of competent education professionals available to the president for his consideration.
”USOSA believes that it is now time for Nigeria as a nation to begin to reap from the huge socioeconomic investment in generations of Nigerian citizens who have benefitted from the excellent unity school education, as they represent some of the most competent persons in their fields across the globe.
”USOSA shall continue to support the Federal government in its aspirations to reinvent public sector education, while supporting the repositioning the unity schools as an integral part of the nation’s strategy towards a safer, more united and progressive Nigeria”, he stated.