Catholic groups seek free education, health in new constitution

CARITAS Nigeria and Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), the relief and development agencies of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria have called on the Federal Government to make education and health human rights and free in the new constitution.

The groups in a press statement by its Executive Secretary, Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey said the Presidency may have genuine reasons not to sign the amended constitution but some critical areas must not be ignored.

He said Caritas Nigeria and JDPC are particularly concerned about “the opportunity the generality of Nigerians may miss towards accessing free basic education and primary and maternal health care services from non-governmental institutions, which the amendment would have guaranteed.

“If the constitution makes basic education and primary and maternal health care a right, it would follow that these would be justifiable, and therefore the State at all levels would create the enabling environment for so called private entities to provide these services free of charge by granting them resources from the state to do so.