Public office holder’s children confined to schools in Nigeria?

News making round has it that a bill seeking to stop children of public office holders from schooling abroad has passed its second reading at the upper house. But as usual it has generated controversies: While some are looking forward to this as a welcome development, others are of the opinion that it is an infringement on the children's fundamental human right.

Has anyone thought about the long term effect, that the mad rush for foreign exchange will reduce as school fees transaction will be done in naira? That the money they will be spending here will be in our currency and as such afford it some decent value.

You need to see the reckless lives they live abroad and how they flaunt their parents ill gotten wealth like there is no tomorrow. Of course all eyes will be on them here and just maybe that will check their excesses knowing they are not far away from prying eyes.

For those who think it is an infringement on their fundamental human rights, their parent can as well resign if indeed their children must school abroad. I for one believe the average public official can never afford to send their children abroad if indeed they live within their means and depend only on their salaries. How much is the total salary of a permanent secretary including allowances that he or she can afford to send two children to schools where on the average it costs them about $80,000 a year just for school fees and living expenses, not to talk about cost of flight, maintaining a car(if they have) and other expenses. I leave you to do the calculation.

Last year alone, an estimate of 20Billion naira was said to have been spent on school fees of Nigerians schooling abroad.....Ask United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Ukraine, Russia, South Africa etc. Even the present presidential scholarship is being awarded for Nigerians to school abroad; surely we have accepted the failure of our educational system!

Truth be told, most of them cut corners and encourage sharp practises so they can make their illegal money but since the search light beams more on the politicians, they hide in the dark to inflict more damage to the system and make ill gotten wealth; This is why they can dare send their children to school abroad in the first place.

If I will look at the positive side of this bill {if it ever see the light of the day that is} then it should be a welcome development. Since we are naturally selfish and we care only about my family and I; No one will beg any public office holder to implement and enforce laws guiding their ministries departments and agencies. Knowing that their children will be a benefactor of working policies and if otherwise, the same family members will be at the receiving end, their selfish nature which ordinarily would be a detriment won’t matter anymore.

My opinion: Let their children be confined to public facilities since their parents are public office holders. Enough of wasting our resources to improve the economy of developed countries.