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Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, on Wednesday, gave a glimpse into his plans for Nigeria’s education and health sectors, if elected president in 2019.
Moghalu spoke at a book reading event organised in his honour by the Book Readers Club of the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP). The programme was chaired by Chief Felix Adenaike.
At the event, Moghalu’s book, “Build, Innovate and Grow, My Vision for Our Country”, which outlines the author’s plans for a better Nigeria by dissecting each sector, stating the problems with the sector and the solutions required, was reviewed and national issues arising from in it, were duscussed
While fielding questions from participants, Moghalu said that if elected president, he would devote 20 per cent of the budget to education and 15 per cent for health.
On education, Moghalu said he has a three-pronged reforms plan to fix the country’s broken education sector. He said he would undertake reforms in teacher training, investment in curriculum and educational infrastructure.
He explained further that teachers would be retrained and recertified in order to be equipped with modern and relevant skills. On curriculum, he stated that technical, vocational and entrepreneural skills training will get more investment, while modern learning and teaching facilities will be given urgent attention.
Moghalu who also spoke extensively on leadership, nation building, economy and foreign policy, promised to set up world class hospitals in the six geopolotical zones in the country and prevent brain drain in the health sector.
The presidential aspirant, a political economist, lawyer and former United Nations official, was a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, between 2009 and 2014. He challenged Nigerians to go online and compare his profile with those of previous presidents and presidential aspirants currently in the race with him.
The book reviewer, Dr. Chima Amadi, described the book as a vital document being a presidential aspirants plan for a nation. One of the many ideas Moghalu espoused in the 25-chapter book is the ratification of a world view charter by the federating units in Nigeria. He proposed “Nigeria, one nation, one destiny”.
Amadi however pointed out that Moghalu did not bring clarity to how his world view approach will deal with the reality of Nigeria’s delicate politics “given that most of the over 80 million registered voters in the next elections, due to a chronic lack of education, will be guided by the same tainted view that he desecrates.”
The reviewer stated further that “while it is easy to understand and reconcile the author’s inclination towards the enactment of a world view charter as a basis for development, it throws up a first order problem to be fair.
“Many climes adopt nationalist purposes or goals in a dealing with other nations. However, the internal dynamics of these countries given the sophistication of these democracies and polities, can not be actualised within a straight jacket of an overriding ideology. What we perceive as a guiding principle for well formed politics are actually a cultural nuances adopted overtime and not some policy thrusts enshrined in an enactment.”
He however described the book as a most read and a viral policy document that should be adopted by anyone who takes over as president on May 29, 2019
Other scholars who critiqued the book include Dr Stephen Lafenwa of the department of Polical Science, University of Ibadan; Dr Kemi Okowa, a senior research fellow at the Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) and Mr Tobechukwu Nneli, the research and programme manager of the ISGPP.
Also present at the event are: the Chairman, board of the ISGPP, Prof. Akin Mobogunje; the Executive Vice Chairman of ISGPP, Prof. Tunji Olaopa; the chairman of the ISGPP book readers club, Prof. Olabode Lucas and Prof. Biola Odejide of the University of Ibadan.
Publishers, scholars and bookstore owners were also present at the event which helat the ISGPP premises, No 24, Awolowo Road, Bodija, Ibadan.
L – R : Chief Reader ISGPP Book Readers Club, Prof.Olabode Lucas; Dr.Kemi Okowa; Executive Vice Chairman of ISGPP,Prof.Tunji Olaopa; Prof.Kingsley Moghalu and Chairman of the event, Chief Felix Adenaike at the book reading event.