Founder and Spiritual Head of Safaudeen In Islam Worldwide, Professor Sabitu Olagoke Ariyo has said that a responsible government can not find it difficult to provide free education up to secondary level for its citizens.
Olagoke, a former Dean, School of Engineering, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State, disclosed this in Ibadan on Wednesday. He pointed out that a free education programme is one of the areas government must prioritized.
The cleric, while addressing guests at the 4th annual Ramadan Lecture organized by Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Oyo State chapter, maintained that provision of free education for citizens in a country is not a luxury, rather, it is a right that should be enjoyed by the citizens.
Olagoke, in his lecture titled, “Fasting during a pandemic: The Takeaways”, said that UNESCO did not make mistake when it recommended the provision of free education up to secondary level for children.
He alleged that the money government uses to do other frivolous things is more than the money they can use to provide free education for the citizens.
Prof. Olagoke, therefore, urged President Muhamadu Buhari, state governors and other concerned individuals, to strive to provide free education for citizens up to the secondary level.
“A responsible government must provide free education for citizens up to secondary level.
“Just as UNESCO recommended, education up to secondary level is a right of all children. It is not a luxury but a right that should be enjoyed.
“Obafemi Awolowo did not make mistake when he introduced free education in the old Western region in 1955. Government must think of the masses. They must remember that all of us are the masses. Awolowo said that free education is possible. The money people are using to do other things is more than what they can use to provide free education.
“You can only immortalize yourself when you empower others. These are some of the teaches of Ramadan,” Prof. Olagoke stated.
