Ogunlewe urges Lagos to give students free textbooks

A former minister of works and housing, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, has said a lot still needs to be done in the education sector in Lagos, despite a noticeable improvement in standards.

Ogunlewe said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos.

He spoke on the sidelines of the foundation laying of a 100-student capacity hostel at Lagos State Civil Service Model College, Igbogbo.

The former minister said there was a need for the government to distribute free textbooks, exercise books and writing materials to every student, to support them.

“Basic education should be the total and complete responsibility of government.

“Though the standard of education in Lagos State has increased,  there is a lot that still needs to be done.

“Free textbooks, exercise books and writing materials should be distributed as part of government’s intervention to students,” Ogunlewe said.

He said that such action by the state government would reduce the rate of out-of-school children.

The former minister also urged the government to intensify school farming to mitigate shortage of food and reduce prices of farm produce as was done in the past.

Speaking on the hostel, he said the family donated it so that the principal, teachers and any National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member deployed would have accommodation within the school premises, for effective service delivery.

Ogunlewe urged the alumni of different schools to support the management and maintenance of their infrastructure,  as it was not a job for the government alone to handle.

“The school land was donated by our great father for colonial and teacher training college.

“Thereafter,  it turned into a civil service model college, but they don’t have enough accommodation for students, teachers and the principal.

“That is why my family decided to build the hostel for the school in celebration of our great icons, to uplift education in the community,” he said.

NAN reports that the hostel was donated in remembrance of two icons of the Fadugba-Ogunlewe royal families of the Igbogbo kingdom.

The families celebrated the 50 years of remembrance of the first traditional ruler of the Igbogbo kingdom,  the late Oba Festus Ogunlewe (Fadugba 2) and 76 years of remembrance of the late Amos Ogunlewe.

NAN.