From Zakari Suleiman, Baruten
A leading traditional ruler in Kwara North Senatorial District and Emir of Ilesha-Baruba, Prof Halidu Ibrahim Abubakar, Derekureku IV has emphasized the need for government at all levels to invest more in the education and health sectors of the country as they are paramount to the lives of the citizens.
The monarch, who noted that education and health have essential roles to play in the lives of citizens, said that there was also the need to include skills acquisitions in the trainings by tertiary institutions so as to enable the graduates to learn at least one or more skills as population keeps growing tremendously.
According to him, while investing more in education sector of Kwara State might take time for its values to come to the fore as a result of the gestation period, this would go a long way to add value to the lives of the people, especially in areas with dense population.
“We must invest in education which people would not see the value immediately and the gestation period would take like decades or less than that to reap its gain.
“We must support education, we must support our primary healthcare, we must make sure our children go to schools. It may be very expensive but we have no choice, we have to do it.
“Due to our increase in population in this country, especially tertiary institutions where prospects for job opportunities are nothing to write home about, we must train our children in different skills so as to be self-employed,” he said.
The monarch, therefore, called on tertiary institutions in the country to emulate Kwara State University (KWASU), which has skills acquisition programme that is perfect.
He also called on highly placed leaders to continue to contribute their immense quotas toward investing and developing the critical sectors of the country.
The Emir, however, thanked the Kwara State Government led by Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the efforts towards developing the Baruten branch of Kwara State University, Ilesha- Baruba, saying efforts would be put in place to contribute the host’s support for the progress and development of the campus and the area as a whole.
