₦airaland Forum

Parents of pupils in the unity schools and the Federal Ministry of Education are now at loggerheads over the directive by the ministry asking parents to pay N5,000 insurance policy for their children.

Under the scheme, which is being underwritten by NICON Insurance Plc, the money is to mitigate the effects of the Boko Haram insurgency and other forms of attacks on educational institutions.

Though parents applauded the initiative, they however rejected the provision that stipulated that each of the pupils should pay N5,000 per annum to enjoy the scheme.

For instance, the Chairman, Parent-Teacher-Association, Federal Government College, Jos, Plateau State, Mr. Mutla Habila, said parents were opposed to the scheme.

He told one of our correspondents on the telephone that parents were opposed to the scheme because they could not see its value.

He said, “As the PTA FGC Jos chairman, I was the first person to question the propriety of the scheme and I stand by my opposition to it. I am asking all parents not to pay and those who have paid should ask for a refund.”

But the Principal of FGC Jos, Mr. Manko Mohammed, said the insurance scheme was a policy of the Federal Government, which all parents were to comply with.

He said that he had not asked parents not to pay, but the text message asking parents to ignore the directive was from the PTA of the school which the authorities knew nothing about.

He said, “As a civil servant, I am supposed to follow directives and this one is from the Federal Ministry of Education and I communicate to all parents through the newsletter. I did not send any text message to parents. It was from a certain PTA of which we have no knowledge of.”

He said all parents were duly briefed about the benefits of the scheme to the welfare of their children.

The scheme, when implemented will fetch NICON N625m from the 104 unity schools with 125,000 pupils.

Also, some parents of pupils at the Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos have queried the scheme.

They argued that the Federal Government was supposed to pay for the policy because it was the government that should be responsible for the security of the pupils.

“I work in a company too and the management of the firm has insured me. I was not asked to pay for the policy, so why should the government ask pupils to pay N5,000 yearly for the policy?” One of the parents, Mr. Kunle Ayeni, said.

Also, the King’s College, Lagos Parent-Teacher-Association on Tuesday faulted the new insurance regime, saying the move was hasty.

The association spoke through its Chairman, Chief Emman Oriakhi.

Oriakhi said though the initiative looked laudable, it was wrong for the Federal Government to have embarked on it without consulting major stakeholders.

He said, “It is a good move that was hastily carried out. The Federal Ministry of Education did not consult any interested group in the sector.

“The KCPTA is aligning with its parent association, National Association of Parent-Teacher of the Federal Government Colleges, in rejecting this policy.

“If major stakeholders had discussed the derivable gains, we would have been in a position to say whether it is worth committing our money to.

“Do you know what it means to garner N625m every year via this policy? So, I canvass that the authorities should invite and discuss with stakeholders on the way forward.”

Meanwhile, the management of NICON Insurance Plc, on Tuesday said its appointment as the underwriter of the Students’ Welfare Insurance Scheme followed due process.

https://punch.cdn.ng/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Minister-of-Education-Mr.-Ibrahim-Shekarau-360x225.jpg

Ngwakwe:
See his reply to your question

Goodluck Jonathan said "I did say during my declaration on November 11, 2014, that we are proud that no Nigerian has been exiled or imprisoned on our watch, for holding contrary views. We must ensure that we continue to water the tree bearing the fruits of freedom, for our beloved people.

IanDiamonds:
Please continue with the good work. God will strengthen you.
Besides, I drew put my plan on How APC wants to fix Nigeria, and judging from the structure of the party, my plan will pretty much be what they have in mind.

enny09:
so why are nigerians still buying a litre of petrol @ N97 despite the fall in oil price

nduchucks:
You've still failed to give us a roadmap to achieving or implementing the items you listed. These items are well known to everyone and have been known for decades. Listing stale, no brainer items, is quite useless, to tell you the truth.

WhiteTechnology:
You are wrong

The efforts of a good leader is wasted by a system prone to corruption

Eg

Jesus was a good leader but his financial treasury was looted by Judas but no one knew except Jesus because he has divine powers.

If Judas had been told to reveal on a daily basis the financial activities of the ministry, he would have being exposed earlier or he won't have stolen due to the accountable system being operated.

Feraz:
It's not about population. Even if we consider population, China is much more populated than Nigeria.

That being said, if we work with the assumption that China could generate that amount of electricity with the original amount in the OP, then we need to ask our past leaders from '99 till date what they have done with our money. Let's start with OBJ who spent about $16B to generate darkness for us and pegging that of China at 6000MW, then we'll be looking at about 28000MW of electricity; factor in Yar'Adua and GEJ and we'll be looking at about 40000 - 50000MW which of more than enough to draw more investors. Now, include that of our leaders promising us constant power and you're looking at power generation a little above 70000MW.

What about our universities? Dividing that missing $10B with 90 federal institutions will give about $111m which is about N16B ($1 - N160). This amount is somewhat enough to equip our engineering, medical and science laboratories. Even ok to start up some research centers in this country and shift our dependence on oil to something else.

How about the military?

We really should demand for what happened to our money.

Pardon any error in my calculation. Also note that I'm working with assumptions here.

If this amount of money is missing, what then is the function of NASS? Aren't they supposed to call the president to order on this?

WhiteTechnology:
Thanks for being specific

Firstly

The 7points is being resisted by the far North on all political platforms . So my friend its more of a geopolitical problem than party problem


The problem of corruption is not PDP or APC but the absence of detail submission of our institutions financial/other activities to the public for scrutiny

In essence its more of a systematic inadequacy

For example

It is only in Nigeria, an institution can will tell you that they spent 10million naira building a house but will never tell you

1) how many bags of cement used and the cost per bag

2) how many tippers of sand/gravels/stones used and the cost per bag

3) how many iron rods used and the cost per rod

4) how many people were employed, their names and how much each was paid

5) where they bought the materials and show you the receipt

6) etc

It is easy for a person to inflate figures astronomical when such details are omitted.

In developed Western and Eastern nations, details like this are not overlooked.

WhiteTechnology:
Be more specific with your question to enable me hit my point quick fast and accurate.

WhiteTechnology:
1) Resource Control

2) Fiscal Federalism

3) Privatization

4) Political Federalism

5) Decentralization of Nigeria

6) Restructuring of Nigeria

6) Institutions giving detail account of their financial/other activities to the public through their websites/panels for public scrutiny every 3months.


Which are the fastest route to

I) economic diversification,
ii) citizenry prosperity
iii) political stability


These 7 points are the basis of True Federalism which can help Nigeria become a Super Power and a first world Nation.

sokt:
[/color]O MA SE O!



I don't have anything to say



BUT ARE WE REALLY HELPLESS!!!
Screaming my head off!

omenka:
How the cookie crumbles.

I'm hoping to see that day Nigeria can't export a single drop of oil so we can have real leaders ready to roll up their sleeves and do some hard work, and not the nutcases high on petrodollars striding the corridors of power today.

#TeamNoMoreOilExports.

olatunji21:
thats a very bad wish..Remember the trains are meant for Nigerians..

azzima:
please do your job and send this to front page and shut up with your dumb ramblings!!!

azzima:
this idiot should just give up this argument....you looking really really bad here the more you try to cover you biased foolishness. FRONT PAGE!!!!!