Kwara South SDP Candidate Promises Free Education

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) senatorial candidate for Kwara South in the February 25 elections, Prof. Wale Sulaiman, on Monday, announced plans to institute free education from primary to secondary school levels for students in the senatorial district.

Sulaiman, who unveiled his agenda for his constituents at a news conference in Ilorin, the state capital, also said: “I will promote access to primary and secondary school education for all children.”

He lamented that that some parents in the district could not even afford to send their children to primary school which charges only N1,000 as school fees and secondary school which charges only N4,000 fees.

The senatorial hopeful also announced plans to institute what he called ‘Kwara South Development Fund’ from where funds will be drawn for the execution of his programmes, including free education.

He listed people’s enrolment into health insurance scheme, job creation, and tourism development as other top priorities if he is given the mandate to represent his people at the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

Sulaiman, a renowned neurosurgeon and a beneficiary of free medical scholarship of the Nigerian government, said: “We shoul be able to make education free at least in primary and secondary schools. We have children in our region that cannot go to school because their parents can’t pay N1,000.”

He blamed the rising insecurity in the country on lack of access to education and unemployment, saying unemployment was a “thicking time bomb” waiting to explode if not addressed as an emergency at all levels of government.”

On the proposed Kwara South Development Fund, the SDP Senatorial candidate explained that he would use his international network to “mop-up some funds” to achieve his agenda.

He said the six areas of priority he highlighted in his manifesto were results of intense research, investigation and analysis carried out by a commissioned consultant.

On the introduction of BVAs by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the SDP candidate said: “the Electoral Act is a blessing to Nigeria. We will see how the BVAS works, I think it’s going to be a magic bullet.”