Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, has given the approval for N8 billion to be splashed on infrastructure projects at the newly established Kogi State University in Kabba. And while this might sound like a generous move, the real question is whether it’s a well-thought-out investment.
During a press conference in Lokoja, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones, FCIB, made this big announcement. According to him, the money will be used to build a Senate building, a Faculty of Science complex, and separate hostels for male and female students. However, we can’t help but wonder if these projects are a genuine effort to uplift the educational standards or just another way to funnel funds into flashy but ultimately impractical constructions, but we’ll wait and see how geniune his intentions are.
The commissioner didn’t miss the opportunity to sing praises of Governor Ododo, hailing him for supposedly following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
According to Jones, the current administration is determined to “maintain and even surpass the 30 percent budgetary allocation to education.” It all sounds very ambitious, but anyone familiar with Nigeria’s political terrain knows these grand declarations are often just empty words meant to appease the public. We know that they are trying to rewrite history by suggesting that the previous administration was a paragon of educational excellence, which many would argue is far from the truth.
Governor Ododo, who was part of Bello’s administration, seems keen to paint himself as a champion of education, claiming he’s fully committed to prioritizing the sector. In another round of seemingly generous spending, the governor approved N316 million for bursary awards to 8,750 Kogi indigenes enrolled in tertiary institutions nationwide. According to the commissioner, each of the 201 Law students will receive a handsome sum of N300,000, while the remaining students get a modest N30,000 each. This disparity in the bursary amount does raise questions: Are law students somehow more deserving, or is this just another strategy to curry favour with a specific group of future influencers?
What’s more, Jones highlighted that only 8,750 students, out of over 40,000 applicants, had uploaded the required documents for verification. This means 78% of the applicants were left out due to bureaucratic process. It’s almost as if the process was designed to ensure that only a small fraction of students would benefit, saving the government money while giving the appearance of generosity.
The governor has also approved over N600 million for the WAEC fees of 18,734 public school students. While this move will certainly ease the financial burden on many families, one can’t help but question the timing. Is this a strategic attempt to win public favour ahead of future political moves, or is it a genuine commitment to improving education in the state?
As always, the devil will be in the details. These grand financial commitments sound great in the headlines, let’s watch and see, you can never tell, his intentions might end up being genuine.
