Omokri Commends Kano Govt. Over Overseas Scholarships, Education Investment
By Baba Dan’Iya
Former presidential aide, Mr. Reno Omokri, has lauded the Kano State Government for its commitment to education, particularly its recent announcement of sponsoring over a thousand students for overseas scholarships.
Omokri, in a series of posts on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, highlighted the state’s dedication to educational development, contrasting it with the perceived lack of similar initiatives in other states.
“Today, Kano State just announced they are sending another batch of over one thousand students on overseas scholarships, and the Internet is quiet. How many of your states have sponsored one hundred students in local Nigerian universities? Few. Very few,” he stated.
He further commended the state for its substantial budgetary allocation to education, noting that Kano dedicated 31% of its budget to the sector, placing it among the highest in Nigeria, second only to Enugu State with 32.99%.
He pointed out that Kano had the highest sectoral allocation for education among all 36 states in the previous year, surpassing the UNESCO benchmark of 26%.
Omokri criticised what he perceived as selective outrage, contrasting the silence over the scholarship program with the criticism the state receives for its mass wedding initiatives.
He argued that the mass weddings are a cultural practice that helps maintain the moral fabric of the society.
He drew a sharp contrast with Anambra State, his home state, citing the lack of state-owned tertiary institutions built by former Governor Peter Obi and the alleged low budgetary allocation to education, while claiming a high allocation to a brewery.
He also pointed out the issue of communities without schools in Anambra.
“How can you be from Anambra, for example, a state where your former Governor, Peter Obi, did not build even one nursery, primary, or secondary school and university and be insulting Kano, a state where their government built two state-owned universities and multiple state-owned polytechnics?
“There are seventy-seven communities without schools in Anambra, and your state government has ZERO students on international scholarship. Yet, Kano mass marriage, which, by the way, is common in the Catholic Church, is your problem?” Omokri questioned.
He urged other states to emulate Kano’s commitment to education, emphasizing the importance of investing in the sector for national development.
“I commend the Government of Kano State for its strides in the education sector and urge more states to learn from Kano,” he said.
The Kano State Government has yet to officially respond to Omokri’s comments. However, the state has consistently demonstrated its commitment to education through various initiatives, including infrastructure development, scholarship programs, and teacher training.
