In line with the UNESCO's policy, the Federal Government has been called upon to implement the 26% funding of education in Nigeria.
The charge was made by Comrade Abiodun Aremu, Secretary, Joint Action Front (JAF), during an interactive session with the press in Calabar.
The conference, it was gathered was a prelude to a zonal mass protest tagged " Save Public Education", held on 27th of August, 2013, at the Botanical Garden in Calabar.
According to Aremu, "central to Save Public Education is to insist that Government in Nigeria must fund education in line with international standard of 26% and, make education tuition free at all levels".
Comrade Aremu disclosed that one of the goals of JAF was to ensure that Nigerians were well sensitized on the depth of rot in the educational sector, which was not known to many.
Stressing he said, "the danger that the rot poses to our society is such that the people must be aware of".
Without the necessary awareness, he said, "in the next 10-15 years, the society will be turned into a more criminal level of society".
Speaking further, the JAF Scribe enjoined other stakeholders in the educational sector, especially students to be involved in the current struggle to ensure academic freedom in Nigeria.
Aremu posited that "the students, many of them do not know that whatever grace they have now at the level of education today, was the product of a struggle in the past that made it possible".
In his remarks, an academic staff and senior lecturer in the University of Calabar, Dr. Ogbonna Kalu, faulted the erroneous perception by some sections of the public that ASUU was selfish in her demands.
Kalu said "ASUU is not calling for a new deal but for the implementation of an exiting one reached in 2009".
He bemoaned the attitude of some Nigerian leaders who after acquiring free public education in the past, were now lukewarm, towards improving the falling standards of Nigeria's educational system.
In his reaction, Comrade Ben Sampson of Total Human Right Research Action Group (THRRAG), suggested that the outcome of the Federal Government and ASUU's earlier agreement should be translated into major Nigerian languages in order to make Nigerians appreciate the import of the later's struggle.
To ensure an immediate result, Sampson charged ASUU to be focused in her demands, while dealing with the Federal Government, subsequently.
The Press Conference was attended by a number of civil right activists in the State, students representatives, members of the press, as well as academic staff of the University of Calabar among others.
Source: Aremu Calls For 26 Percent Funding of Education in Nigeria (http://www.crossriverstate.gov.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=217:aremu-calls-for-26-percent-funding-of-education-in-nigeria&catid=132&Itemid=682)
The Education sector is very much important in this country and it won't be wise for it to be ignored!