Why Governor Sule Should Declare State Of Emergency On The Education Sector In Nasarawa State

Rabiu Omaku

Fresh fact cut across the length and breadth of the thirteen Local Governments of Nasarawa State unveiled that majority of public schools are in shambles,an inspection of Secondary Schools by selected Journalists revealed that vast of public schools are a complete eyesore including maladroit teachers,acute shortage of teachers of core subjects including English Language and Mathematics.

While some schools especially in the hinterland are a total sham peturbed by leaking roof,lacking of access road,the worst of all was that 90 out of 100 Secondary schools in Nasarawa State are not connected to the national grid which was a clear indication that Nasarawa State is yet to key into Information Communication Technology (ICT) compliant State while some of  the newly constructed Taal Model Schools established by the then Governor of the State,Umaru Tanko Al-Makura are yet to be occupied with a story of fallen windows and roofs with little or no sewage system.

Impeccable source revealed that majority of the new schools were abandoned due to serious crack emanated from storey buildings with few or no pillars. another uphill task of Abdullahi Alhaji. Sule is for the incumbent administration to award contract for the supply of furnitures ranging from desk and chairs to be distributed to Secondary schools while for the cradle of education (Junior Secondary Schools and Primary Schools) the Governor should set up a probe committee to investigate the award of 1.9bn to Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board meant for the supply of 60,000 desk and chairs in 2013,The furnitures that are yet to arrive the shores of Nigeria from China.

Is no longer news that the N1.9bn furniture scandal released by Al-Makura to cronies disappeared into air ,this financial incongruity formed the bases of the impeachment saga that plunged the State into chaos with the Fourth State House of Assembly headed by Speaker.Ahmed Musa under the aegis of the People’s Democratic Party.

THE COMATOSE OF SCIENCE  SCHOOL,LAFIA

The story of Science School, Lafia would not be completed without revealing the State of decay of hostels accommodation especially male hostels are like farm house marred by dilapidated doors, windows and leaking roofs without ardent attention to repair them.It could be recalled that the pledge to renovate decay hostels with leaking roofs by Lafia Old Boys Association (LOSA) is death on arrival as both male and female hostel named Nasarawa House are in bad conditions,the bad shape was also extended to other Science Schools lacking of Science equipment.

MERGING OF SCHOOLS TO AVOID WASTAGE OF MANPOWER AND RESOURCE

There is the need for the Governor to merged some Public secondary Schools and concentrate on quality but not numbers spread across the State,findings revealed that majority of schools have low enrollment while some newly established schools are not far from each other but with nothing to write home about in times of population of students.

To as matter of urgency,the State Governor should merged the three in one school in Lafia,the State capital where Dunama,Dunoma and Mai Rafi Primary and Secondary schools exist with insufficient teachers.

There is the need for the State ministry of education to revisit the separation of Juniòr Secondary schools with Senior Secondary schools to avoid wastage of Government resources.

Government should engage the service of construction firms to rebuild schools affected by either rainstorm, windstorm or destroyed by the last ethnic skirmishes that affected Government schools,the engagement of genuine construction firms would reduce the increasing collapsed of public schools.

For the sake of transparency and probity,the Sule led-Government should review the contract for the building of schools affected by windstorm and rainstorm during the reign of the immediate past Governor,Umaru Tanko Al-Makura as it was uncovered that vast of the schools affected remained shadow of itself.it could be recalled that the incumbent Secretary to the State Government,Ahmed Tijjani Aliyu who is the immediate past Commissioner of education in an interview with selected Journalists early this year maintained that a whooping N1.9bn was approved and released for the rehabilitation of affected schools,the schools that were never made known to the people of Nasarawa State.

On the issue of payment of bursary allowances to State indigent,Governor Sule has make a momentous  sacrifice before his 100 days in office and more needed to be done to encourage science education, the State Government should accord premise to students pursuing engineering courses by awarding special package as well encourage foreign scholarship as it was obtainable in Jigawa State during the reign of Governor Sule Lamido.

The led-Government should also revisit the distribution of double bunk beds procured by the then Governor Al-Makura for onward distribution to boarding schools in the State.

Sky would be the starting point for Governor Sule to revisit the engagement of 2,142 teachers who were promised pensionable appointment,the 2,142 teachers were placed on N20,000 salaries for teachers with National Certificate of Education (NCE) while graduates are paid the sum of N25,000 only,with the rush hour confirmation of the appointment of the 2,148 teachers,there is the need for the Governor to study the financial burden attached to the recent recruitment before taking final decision.

For the State Governor to make a breakthrough in the education sector,the incumbent administration should consider and implement promotions hanging on the balance because the implementation of promotions would serve as a morale booster to teachers especially who have put in their best in the job,it was reliably gathered that must of the promotions in the last five years are mere notional promotions meaning promotions without benefit.It would be proper for the led-administration to accord impetus to the welfare of teachers.

The neglect of education sector in the last few years have given birth to the spring up of private Secondary ,Primary and Nursery schools in Nasarawa State,the Sule led- administration should set up a probe committee to investigate the contract for the lightening of public schools with the introduction of solar system under Governor Al-Makura.

The State Government should not hesitate to connect schools to the national grid,fresh fact emerged that 90 out of 100 Public Secondary, Junior and Primary Schools especially boarding schools have no provision for electricity while some boarding schools are in dire need of water.

GOVERNMENT SHOULD REPLACE  CHIEF INSPECTORATE OF EDUCATION (CIE) WITH SCHOOLS EVALUATION, INSPECTION AND MONITORING UNIT (SEIMU)

Is high time for the State Government to abolish the offices of Chief Inspectorate of  Education and replace it with a formidable Schools Evaluation Inspection And Monitoring Unit (SEIMU) which would be saddle with inspection, monitoring and evaluation of staff, classrooms and the teachers.

On Special Schools for the physical impaired,the State Government should as matter of urgency trim the two uncompleted special schools at Nasarawa West and North to avoid wastage of Government funds while considering the enrollment and cost of running the special schools.

The current administration should abolish the free education policy inherited from Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura,some principals and headteachers confided that the free education policy has done more harm than good as vast of public school are lacking of chalk,dossier, dusters.

An expert says education was never free in Nasarawa State,he says education would be free when all aspects of payment are also free including school uniforms and supply of textbooks instead he maintained that Secondary and Primary education are partially free,what was obtainable in the State for the past years was “PARTIAL FREE EDUCATION”but not “FREE EDUCATION”As he lament over the sharp increased in the enrollment of pupils in primary schools and students in public Secondary schools marred by acute shortage of teachers with the non availability of Continues Assessment Booklets,Chalk including furnitures in spite of the series of  contracts and releases of funds but to no avail.

There is the need for the State Government to embarked on the recruitment of more teachers of core subjects like English and Mathematics,it was reliably gathered that in some schools the number of supportive staff superceded the number of teaching staff,this was extended to Tertiary institutions of learning like the College of Education,Akwanga, Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Lafia now (Isa Mustapha Agwai 1 Polytechnic,Lafia and the College of Agriculture,Lafia are in dire needs of academic staff.This compelled some of the tertiary institutions to engage the service of casual staff.

GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENCOURAGE INDIGENT STUDENTS TO UNLOCK THEIR POTENTIALS AS DOCTORS

The acute shortage of doctors at our Tertiary health institutions like the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital and General hospitals would only be nip by the bud by encouraging indigent students,this will be a thing of the past if the State Government join words with action by introducing welfare package and special scholarship both domestic and foreign as it was obtainable in core North.

STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD REVERSE THE ANNUAL SCHOOLS CENSUS

The essence of annual Schools census was defeated in Nasarawa State because little or no attention was accorded to schools census whose mainstay was to avail those in power the actual number of enrollment in the State,the State Government should do the needful to addressing this,An expert in the education sector explained that the annual ritual was meant to authenticate the enrollment of pupils and students.

ROT IN GOVT COLLEGE DOMA WHERE A SCHOOL OF 860 STUDENTS HAVE ONLY 50 SEATS,TWO ENGLISH TEACHERS

The recent discovery in Government College Doma is a clear testimony that our educational sector is on the brink of collapsed,It was reliably gathered that the famous Teachers College Doma which was one of the best College in Nasarawa State was a shadow of itself.A visit to the principal’s office,been the administrative head of the school was a tales of a fallen ceiling with no access to cross ventilation while the only lavatory meant for staff and day students was a sanctuary for reptiles and rodents.The school which have over fifteen classrooms with a population of 860 students have no fewer than 50 seats out of which 30 of the existing seats were provided by the Parents Teachers Association.

A staff who pleaded anonymity said the College is indebted to food vendors, adding that the College would be able to maintain one food vendor.

STUDENTS OF BOARDING SCHOOLS WALLOWING IN HUNGER DESPITE N29M EXPENDED MONTHLY ON FEEDING

Findings by universalreporters.ng revealed that the inability of the State Government to supply food to boarding school with a population of 860 students is having negative effect on the lives of the students,another challenge confronting Government College Doma, extended to other schools was the porosity of the school sharing boundary with residence.

Acute shortage of potable drinking water was a serious hiccups  facing public boarding schools especially Government College Doma was in dire need of drinking water until the intervention of His Royal Highness, the Andoma of Doma,Alhaji.Ahmadu Aliyu Ogah who bring sucor to the College by providing motorized borehole to ease the suffering of the students

STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BUILD STAFF QUARTERS WHILE DILAPIDATED ONES REBUILD

There is the need for the State Government to renovate all dilapidated staff quarters in existing boarding schools like Science School,Lafia,Wamba and amongst others while the abandoned staff quarters at 80 percent completion in G.C Doma should be completed.

STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD FOCUSED ON QUALITY NOT NUMBERS OF SCHOOLS

Stringent measure must be taken on the new Taal Model Schools established by the former Governor of the State,Umaru Tanko Al-Makura by ensuring that storey buildings build without pillars are put in proper shape to avoid building collapse that may lead to death of students and pupils,the existing structures did not passed through quality assurance of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board

TRAINING AND RETRAINING OF TEACHERS MUST BE TOPMOST PRIORITY

The decision of the Government of Nasarawa State to provide quality education been part of his policy thrust  aimed at facilitating easy access,improved quality of teaching which was the mainstay of Engr.Sule’s administration would not be feasible by the ongoing in the educational sector as the Commissioner of education,Fati Jimeta Sabo stated at the 17th meeting of the 19 Northern States as schools in Nasarawa State are in dire need of attention.

GOVERNMENT SHOULD SEE PROMOTION OF TEACHERS AS A RIGHT NOT PRIVILEGE

What workers all over the world needed is welfare package ranging from promotion,annual increment and leave grant,this would serves as a morale booster to employee.

There is the need for Nasarawa State Government to come up with a policy that will serves as a moving vehicle that will encourage the affluent in the society especially those at behest of affairs to enrollied their wards in public Secondary,this single act would change the narate.

STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CHECK THE EXCESSES OF PRINCIPAL’S COLLECTING CHUNK AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM EXTERNAL STUDENTS AS ONE YEAR SCHOOL FEES

The herculean task ahead of the State Government is to check the excesses of principals collecting huge amount of money from external students as one year school fees,this also contribute immensely to the falling standard of education in the State.

GOVERNOR SULE SHOULD REINTRODUCE PTA LEVY IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The state Government should not hesitate to reintroduce Parents Teacher’s Association levy of N200,this will help in running the affairs of schools.

PRINCIPALS RESISTED TRANSFER OF THEIR STAFF

The State Ministry of education should as matter of urgency verify the recent transfer of teachers across Secondary schools in the State,some Principals who spoke with selected Journalists maintained that it was local arrangement between CIE’s and Principals due to acute shortage of teachers of core subjects in the affected schools.

The State Commissioner of education buttressed that  the State Government has reiterated it readiness to revitalize the educational system in the state, Hajiya,Fati Jimeta Sabo hinted this.

The Commissioner revealed this during the 17th meeting of Commissioners of education of the 19 Northern States held in Taal Conference Hotel,Lafia.

Fati Sabo in her welcome address explained that the State Government spent N29M monthly for the feeding of boarding students for the  period of six months.

She however said the State Government has taken a proactive approach towards revivifying the educational system,adding that the efforts includes the recruitment of over 2000 teachers.

She further explained that the State Government has embarked on the building of classrooms in selected schools in the State.

Other commitments also include payment of transport fare for Exchange Programme students,sponsoring of programme of Science Teachers Association of Nigeria,Nasarawa State branch as well sponsoring of Science Student to Science competition in Turkey.

The Commissioner further warned contractors handling schools projects to abide by standard and specification of agreement.

TO BE CONTINUED.