Lawmaker advocates investment in education

Senator Gbenga Ashafa
| credits: File copy

The lawmaker representing the Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, says leaders, wealthy Nigerians and politicians must invest massively in education as a starting point to confronting other challenges in the country.

Ashafa explained that anybody that was passionate about eradication of poverty and injustice could demonstrate it by contributing to improving education in his community.

The lawmaker, who spoke during the inauguration of modern science laboratories at Isheri Junior Grammar School and Isheri Senior Grammar School, as parts of his constituency projects, said his decision to execute the project was borne out of the need to improve the lives of residents through quality education.

He said, “Enhancing access to meaningful and qualitative education remains a serious agenda that I am committed to. Indeed, in times past we have executed educational empowerment programmes in some schools in Lagos East through our famous Back-To-School programme which provides materials such as exercise books, sets of mathematical instruments, textbooks and school bags, among others to school children.

“Other strides we have accomplished included the facilitation of educational pursuits through the provision of school fees for indigent pupils through the Gbenga Ashafa Trust Endowment.”

Ashafa noted that the inability of communities to maintain projects was a major problem stakeholders must look into.

He added that he would start disbursing N250,000 annually for the maintenance of laboratories and other related projects.

He urged school managements and old students associations to show interest in the proper management of their schools for the use of the present and future crop of pupils.

The Isheri Senior Grammar School Principal, Mr. Alasan Yakubu, said the provision of the laboratories would go a long way in the teaching and learning of science.

His Isheri Junior Grammar School counterpart, Mrs. Aluko Adebayo, observed that if more privileged Nigerians could “put smile in the faces of the children, Nigeria will be better for it”.