By Saheed Ibrahim

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The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called for improved and sustained funding of senior secondary education across the country.

The NUT Legal Director, Okorafor Okechukwu gave the charge in Abuja, during the resumed investigative on the proposed restructuring of federal agencies and commissions held at the instance of the House of Representatives Committee chaired by Hon. Isiaka Ibrahim.

Okechukwu who noted that the call is necessary, argued that it is at that level where the decision of career is made in the life of every student.

Other stakeholders drawn from the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who spoke during the hearing called for the retention of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) as an independent regulatory agency.

Representing Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, Zikora Ibeh who expressed reservations about the merging of the NFVCV with other agencies, pointed out that Nollywood is too big to be subjected to a mere department in any Agency.

According to her, such bodies all over the world are interdependent because they regulate the film industry, which is one of the greatest contributors to national economies.

“The NFVCB has generated expertise over the years, so it is our observation that it should not be merged with other agencies,” she stated.

On its part, the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance observed that with the rate at which Skit Makers emerge daily in Nigeria, it was time to strengthen the NFVCB.

The group further stressed the need to ensure that smoking scenes are controlled in movies and skits.

Programme Manager of the organisation, Chibuike Nwokorie said: “we are working to see that our screens are free from smoking scenes,” he said, adding that NFVCB as an agency should control them, and not need to be merged.

He said that in an average of every three minutes, skit makers are uploading videos, noting that there was a need for an independent agency like the NFVCB to be in charge.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Isiaka Ibrahim however observed with concern the current system of secondary education (Basic/JSS, and SS), each school usually have two principals in the same school.

Other agencies the committee met behind closed doors were the National Emergency Management Agencies (NEMA), Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Free Trade Zones Authority.