From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris has noted that the transformation of the education sector embarked upon by his administration is progressing steadily towards attaining the target objective of quality and excellence in knowledge.
The Governor made the remark in Abuja while addressing students from Kebbi State now on an educational visit to the nation’s capital.
“We inherited infrastructural decay in the education sector. As a teacher, I immediately began the development of schools infrastructure and procurement of instructional materials for teaching and learning as a deliberate policy of our educational reform strategy”, he said.
“Furthermore, my administration has placed premium on the welfare of teachers, we are building staff quarters in schools, salaries and emoluments of teachers are regularly paid promptly. We hold teachers in high esteem. So far, my government has expended 10 billion naira on the improvement of the education sector that include construction of new classrooms and other school buildings, rehabilitation of dilapidated structures as well as provision of teaching and learning materials to educational institutions”, the governor added.
“Teachers will never again be treated on second class status, they will enjoy first class treatment under my watch. I have given approval to the Commissioner for Education to recruit 2,000 new qualified teachers to teach in schools lacking enough teachers”, Dr Nasir Idris announced.
“I am thankful to teachers and their families for voting for me massively during the last elections that facilitated my victory at the polls, and making it possible that, a comrade of their own profession is today the Executive Governor of Kebbi State. I am grateful to you all, I will always attach prominence to your wellbeing as a teacher myself ” he affirmed.
Idris was happy that the problem of out-of school children has been reversed in Kebbi State as majority of such children have been taken back to the classroom to acquire formal education.
The Governor commended the students for concentrating on their studies for optimum results, expressing confidence on the ability of Kebbi State Students to excel academically anywhere in the world.
“I urge you to keep up the momentum, study hard to become professionals in all spheres of knowledge, our future is in education, you, the students, are the future”, Dr. Nasir Idris remarked.
He gave an assurance that his administration would sustain the sponsorship of students from the state for educational pursuit in and outside Nigeria aimed at hastening societal growth in all sectors of human endeavours.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Halima Muhammad Bande, who led the students on the courtesy visit to the Governor in Abuja, in the course of their educational excursion to the Federal Capital Territory, briefed the governor about their mission and aspirations.
She was accompanied by a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Hajiya Rafa’atu Garba Hammani and the Permanent Secretary, Kebbi State Ministry of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Muhammad Maikurata.