Reps Propose Bill to Ban Public Servants from Using Private Schools, Hospitals

 Reps Propose Bill to Ban Public Servants from Using Private Schools, Hospitals

The House of Representatives has introduced a bill seeking to prohibit all public and civil servants in Nigeria from patronising private schools and healthcare facilities.

The bill, sponsored by Amobi Ogah (LP–Abia), was presented for first reading during Tuesday’s plenary session.

In his lead debate, Ogah described the proposed legislation as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s development journey, aimed at restoring confidence in the country’s public institutions.

According to the lawmaker, the bill seeks to bar all public and civil servants — including their immediate family members — from seeking medical treatment or enrolling their wards in private institutions. The intent, he said, is to eliminate conflicts of interest, rebuild public trust, and compel officials to fix the failing public education and health systems.

“Before Nigeria attained independence and became a republic, our foremost statesmen were educated in government schools,” Ogah recalled, citing the academic histories of founding leaders such as Sir Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Tafawa Balewa, who all attended local public schools.

He lamented that the current preference for private services by public office holders has contributed to the steady decline of government-owned institutions.

“It has become an unwholesome trend for public and civil servants to seek private educational and healthcare services for themselves and their families, to the detriment of our economy,” he stated.

Ogah highlighted the mismatch between government spending and the patronage of local services, noting that while N1.33 trillion was allocated to healthcare in the 2024 budget, the country still loses over $1 billion annually to medical treatment abroad.

He added that Nigerians spent at least $29.29 billion on overseas healthcare during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The education sector has seen a similar capital flight, with $38.17 million reportedly spent on foreign education in the first quarter of 2024 alone, and $218.87 million throughout 2023.

“If we can remove petroleum subsidies, we must also take bold steps to reform public service behaviour by passing this bill,” Ogah declared.

He stressed that continuous dependence on private and foreign institutions by government officials has led to the neglect of public services, describing it as a national embarrassment when top officials die abroad while seeking medical treatment.

The bill, Ogah said, is designed to end the era of educational and medical tourism among Nigeria’s ruling class and force a turnaround in the country's failing public institutions.

He called on Nigerians, especially the media, to support the legislation and help build a new national consciousness that prioritises the revitalisation of local schools and hospitals