No more Private Schools, Hospital for Civil Servants – Reps proposes New Bill
A new bill proposed by Hon. Amobi Ogah, a lawmaker representing Isuikwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State, seeks to ban public and civil servants from sending their children to private schools or using private hospitals. The bill aims to restore accountability and rebuild trust in Nigeria’s public institutions by compelling government officials to invest in and use the same public systems they manage.
Key Provisions of the Bill:
- Public Education: Civil servants would be required to send their children to public schools, rather than private schools.
- Public Healthcare: Government officials would be expected to utilize public hospitals instead of private healthcare services or foreign medical treatment.
Rationale Behind the Bill:
- Promote Equality: By using public institutions, government officials would experience the same challenges faced by ordinary citizens, potentially driving improvements.
- Address Decay in Public Institutions: The consistent preference for private services has worsened the state of public institutions, creating inequality.
- Significant Foreign Expenditure: Nigeria spent over $29 billion on medical trips abroad during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, and $218.87 million on foreign education in 2023.
Potential Impact:
- Improved Public Institutions: By investing in public schools and hospitals, the government may be able to improve the quality of services, benefiting the majority of citizens.
- Reducing Inequality: This bill could help bridge the gap between the quality of services available to government officials and ordinary citizens.
Challenges and Considerations:
- Implementation: Ensuring compliance and effective implementation would be crucial to the bill’s success.
- Quality of Public Services: Significant investment and reform would be necessary to improve public schools and hospitals to a standard acceptable to civil servants.
Ogah has launched a social media campaign with hashtags #PromoteOurSchoolsAndHealthcareServices and #PrivateInstitutionsAndHealthcareServicesProhibitionBill2025 to garner support for the bill.
