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Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has called on the Federal Government to strengthen efforts at tackling increasing cases of killings and insecurity across the country.
He made the call at the 2024 Summit and Award ceremony of the Old Boys Association of Merchants of Light School, Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra, yesterday.
He noted that the ugly trend of killings had continued unabated because of lack of arrests and subsequent prosecution of perpetrators of the dastardly acts.
“The Federal Government should devote efforts to find those responsible for these killings. What is particularly depressing is that these killings occur and nobody seems to be held responsible and charged accordingly.
“The first thing government should do is to deploy its agencies and forces to apprehend those perpetuating the killings because that is the only way to address the problem. If they are apprehended, prosecuted and punished, that will serve as deterrent to others.”
He also charged the Federal Government to work harder to meet the 26 per cent budgetary allocation to education as recommended by UNESCO.
“The Federal Government is not doing enough for the education sector. The percentage of education in the budget is well below the UNESCO recommendation.
“I like to see the government work harder to meet up with the UNESCO recommendation of 26 per cent budgetary allocation.’’
Anyaoku, an alumnus of the Merchants of Light School, called for endowment funds for educational institutions across the country.
He said such funds would provide alumni associations the opportunity to support their schools.
“In many institutions in foreign countries, the schools endowment funds are the main source of financial support for the institutions. In proposing the endowment fund for Merchants of Light school, I hope the alumni will willingly and regularly donate to support development of structures and facilities in the school,’’ he said.
Earlier, Prof. Tony Nwokoye, president of the alumni association, said the summit served as homecoming for old boys of the school and an opportunity to take stock of developments in the school and determine possible areas of intervention.
He expressed optimism that the N2 billion Endowment Fund being floated by the alumni association would go a long way in revitalising the school over a period of five years.
The summit had: “Alumni Engagement in the Management and Improvement of their Alma Mater’’ as its theme.
