The Governor of Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose, has mocked President Muhammadu, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and top Nigerian officials for sending their children to schools abroad.
Mr. Fayose, who barred his mind on Friday, while attending the graduation ceremony of one of his sons, Ayorogbayimika, at the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, said it was improper for top government officials to educate their children abroad.
The vocal governor boasted that all his kids attend schools in the country and advised top government functionaries who send their children abroad to emulate him.
He argued that the only reason one could send a child abroad for education was where the course intended to be studied was not offered in the country.
“We talk and do. Whatever we say is what we practice. Apart from the fact that none of my children attended schools abroad, I have never travelled out of the country for Medicare,” the governor’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, quoted him as saying,
“Even though the views of people like us might not be popular among the powers that be because we say the truth and act the truth, we won’t stop telling them what they do not like to hear and one of such is that the only way to improve the standard of education in the country is for children of holders of public office to experience what children of ordinary Nigerians are experiencing in schools in the country.
“During my first tenure as governor, I took my son from a private school and enrolled him in SUBEB Model Primary School in Ado Ekiti.
“Today again, I am here to witness the graduation of my son and I make bold to say here that none of my children attended tertiary institution outside Nigeria.
“That should be the spirit not a situation where someone is the minister of education in Nigeria and his children are schooling abroad. And by enforcing this too, we will be saving Nigeria a lot of foreign exchange being wasted on medical and academic tourism.”
He described as hypocritical, the attitude of many Nigerian leaders particularly of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for not showing good example to the people.
Mr. Fayose mocked Mr. Buhari, who has been said to live a modest lifestyle for sending his children to schools abroad.
“Even children of President Muhammadu Buhari they told us lived a modest life attended universities abroad. Shouldn’t President Buhari have lived by example by enrolling his children in universities in Nigeria?”
“We are after quality education and we want to maintain our position as leaders in the education sector. We are first in NECO examinations and we are among the best in WAEC and the only industry in Ekiti State is education and we can’t afford to let it depreciate.”
Mr. Fayose, however, appealed to Nigerians from all walks of live to support government’s effort at developing the educational system in Ekiti State.
