- ADDRESS
BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF NASARAWA STATE ALHAJI
ABDULLAHI ADAMU [SARKIN YAKIN KEFFI]
AT THE OPENING OF THE FIRST EDUCATION SUMMIT HOLDING IN LAFIA BETWEEN 6TH
and
8TH DECEMBER, 2000.
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Compliments.
It is with the
utmost sense of delight and accomplishment that I welcome you all to the First
Education Summit in Nasarawa State. Barely
one week ago, we successfully hosted an Economic Summit resulting into the
signing of an agreement between the State and the Small Business
Administration [SBA] of the United States of America for the immediate
establishment of a Business Information Centre in the State capital-Lafia.
The major
propelling force behind that summit is our quest for the economic
transformation of our young state from a rural state to a vibrant economy that
could compete favourably amongst the committee of developed states.
During that
summit, I underscored the central place of education in our transformation
drive and went ahead to restate our determination to make education the centre
piece of our developmental efforts.
Today, I am happy
to welcome you to another summit, this time around, an Education Summit which
is being organised by the Ministry of Education in conjunction with Arewa
House Kaduna.
I thank all the
members of the Education Technical Committee of Arewa House Kaduna and all
other resource persons as well as the seasoned academics present here for
agreeing to come to our aid in time of need such as now, I commend the
Ministry of Education for this initiative of making it possible for our state
to be the first state to organise a summit on education.
For us here in
Nasarawa State, we have had no option than to accord education a prime place
in the scheme of affairs for a number of reasons. First, the state is in dare
need of manpower to pilot and give direction in all sectors of government in
the state. Secondly, education by
no means is the surest panacea to the problems of ignorance, disease and
poverty that have plagued our society all this while.
Thirdly, the state is in a hurry for growth and development and there
can be no substitute to education if this aspiration is to be realised.
It is in the
light of the foregoing that this administration wasted no time after its
inauguration to confront the problems of education head on.
Conscious of the crucial role of Primary Education to the subsequent
levels of Education, we declared a free and compulsory primary education at
Ara in June 1999 well ahead of the Federal Government UBE which was launched
in September 1999. We pursued
vigorously the overhaul of our primary schools.
This measure was
followed by the launching of the secondary schools rehabilitation scheme.
We have not only successfully renovated and rehabilitated all our
boarding schools but have gone a long way in moving our day secondary schools
to their permanent sites. This
effort has been pursued along side the provision of adequate teaching aids and
text as well as exercise books to schools.
Of course, we
have not allowed ourselves to be misled by any illusion that mere supply of
books and renovation of buildings are enough to uplift the standard of
education in the state. We
captured the pathetic teacher-student ratio situation and quickly took steps
to salvage it by recruiting 1270
teachers, mostly of science background, from across the federation.
As an inducement to retain these teachers, they shall be entitle to
Permanent and Pensionable appointment after the mandatory probation period.
In order to check the complete absence of motivation and low morale of
the teachers, we went ahead to approve various forms of allowances to our
teachers. Today, all our teachers
enjoy such allowances as inducement, hazard, deprivation responsibility and
science teachers allowances etc. In
addition, our state is the only state of the federation that pay call duty
allowance to teachers following our realisation and appreciation of the fact
that teachers even more than anyone else are perpetually on call.
Having
rehabilitated our school infrastructures and supplied text and exercise books
to the schools as well as paid various forms of inducement allowances to our
teachers, we have taken a step further by reinstating the inspectorate
division of the Ministry of Education to ensure quality control in schools.
We have enabled the seven area inspectorate offices by supplying them
functional vehicles and reasonable running costs on termly basis.
We cherish and
aspire to technological growth and development.
Hence, science and technological education have received considerable
attention of this administration. We
wasted no time after assumption of office
in May 1999 before establishing six model science secondary schools in
the state[2 each in each of the three senatorial districts of the state].
These schools have been well furnished and their laboratories are well
equipped and science equipment have been sufficiently supplied to all of them.
Assakio Technical
College was before May 1999 a shadow of its name.
We could not afford to watch such a site.
Accordingly, we invited NBTE to avail us the list of required items for
its accreditation. Upon its
receipt, we quickly went into action and I am happy to announce that the Team
of Officials that came down for the accreditation of the institution was full
of praises and commendation for our effort.
Having equipped
our Technical College, we have moved a step further in the area of Technology
Education by establishing a State Polytechnic here in Lafia.
Already, recruitment of staff and admission of first set of students is
being concluded and the students shall be invited for registration from the
middle of this month.
Conscious of the
fact that one Technical College may with time not cope with the challenge of
feeding the polytechnic with adequate studen
ts, we have made budgetary provision for the establishment of two additional
technical colleges next year.
Within the arena
of Higher Education, we have also taken giant strides in the three tertiary
institutions in the state. The
college of Agriculture in Lafia has been overhauled to meet the NBTE standards
for its accreditation. The College
of Education Akwanga has had its facilities improved upon to the extent that
when NCCE came for accreditation of its courses, earlier in the year, the team
could but shower a lot of praises on the state for the significant changes
that have taken place within the institution.
Following this development, the College has been upgraded to a Degree
awarding institution.
At the College of
Arts, Science and Technology Keffi, we are completing the long abandoned
academic block at the institution. We
have also rehabilitated the hostels and staff
quarters in the institution.
Concerned about
the plight of our unemployed youths, we are fully constructing and equipping
four vocational and relevant technology training centres in the state.
Drawing from the
fore-sightedness and inspirations that informed the late premier of Northern
Region to establish Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, we have concluded
arrangements to establish a State University by the 2001/2002 academic
session. Already, the technical
committee which was set up to advice the government on the desirability or
otherwise of the State University has since submitted its report with a
favourable recommendation for a multi-campus university.
I have already approved a Seven Man Implementation Committee for the
State University and it is our fervent hope that the university shall, insha
Allah, take off as scheduled.
At this juncture,
I want to reiterate Government determination to continue to undertake
significant Investment in the education sector and to acknowledge with
satisfaction, the marvellous performances of our students in this year’s
NECO and SSCE exams. Suffice to
mention for the benefit of our visitors that when we took over the reigns of
government in the state in 1999, the results of our graduating students was to
say the least, quite disturbing as not more than
five candidates from all our public schools were able to obtain the
mandatory requirements of five credits for direct entry into universities as
prescribed by JAMB.
It is a matter of
joy for not only the government but the state as a whole to be informed that
our state came second best state in the recently released NECO SSCE exams in
the federation. Indeed our
students performed excellently so much so that we now have quite significant
number that qualify for entrance into universities.
I want to commend the Ministry of Education and particularly our school
principals and teachers for this wonderful performance.
As a mark of
Government appreciation for the total dedication of our teachers in bringing
about this remarkable improvement, I wish to announce a bonus of
N20,000,000.00 [Twenty Million Naira] for our secondary school teachers
throughout the state. [i.e. N5,000.00 per Teacher]. I wish to assure our
teachers that government remains prepared to put in place all such measures
that will propel them to better performances and productivity.
In order also to
ensure that the existing teacher-student ratio is further improved upon,
approval is hereby given for the immediate recruitment of 500 [five hundred]
additional teachers, most of whom should be of science background.
Distinguished
Ladies and gentlemen, we will not relent until Nasarawa State has been
properly positioned as an educationally advanced state.
To this end, we are going to review our scholarship allowances payable
to all the state indigenes studying in tertiary institutions.
As we prepare to
realise our aspiration in the education sector, government appreciates the
efforts of the Parent Teachers’ Associations of all our public schools for
their encouraging support and contributions in the development of school
infrastructures and urge them not to rest on their ores until our collective
dreams are realised.
In the same vein,
Government also acknowledges the effort of the voluntary agencies and
organisations for their partnership in providing educational opportunities for
our citizens. Government shall continue to encourage those private individuals
and organisations that genuinely aspire to operate within existing guidelines
that they shall continue to enjoy government protection and assistance.
Finally, I wish
to most sincerely convey the appreciation of the government and people of
Nasarawa State to the Technical Committee of Arewa House kaduna headed by
Proffessor Adamu Baikie for agreeing to assist us as we prepare a new
education blue print and action plan for the state for the years
2001-2005. At this juncture, I
wish to assure the Technical Committee that Nasarawa State has continued to
act consistently with the Action Plan for Northern States as handed to all
Northern Governors earlier in the year.
It may interest
you to note that even though the Action Plan for Northern States recommended
that all states should allocate 26% of their budgets to Education, we have
allocated 28% of our total budget to education for the year 2001.
It is our hope
that this summit shall come up with a functional road map and action plan for
the state for the years ahead. I
assure you of government preparedness to rely on the resolutions and
recommendations of this summit.
I thank you most
sincerely for coming and wish you successful and rewarding deliberations.
It is now my honour and privilege to declare the First Education Summit
in this State open.
Thank you and may
God continue to bless our efforts.
