Yobe Upgrades Education Sector with N3bn

• Yobe Upgrades Education Sector with N3bn

The Yobe State Government has made a giant stride to reposition the state’s education sector by spending N3billion in the last couple of months.

The state is appraised as one of the most disadvantaged states in education in the country.

This has necessitated why the state government is spending massively in the sector in order to bridge the gap.

Disclosing the amount in the education sector in the last couple of months in a press statement, the Director of Press Affairs to the state Governor, Mallam Abdullahi Bego, said over N3 billion was spent in various education-related expenses, including the rehabilitation and expansion of three secondary schools, feeding of students in boarding schools, payment of fees for students writing the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE).

The fund also covers payment for special remedial programme for Yobe students in the University of Maiduguri as well as fees for Yobe students in various Nigeria-Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) in Mamudo, Kano, Kaduna, and Abuja, among others.

Bego revealed that the governor “gave approval for the various payments as part of his determination to bring quality education within the reach of Yobe students.”

He said: “A breakdown of the funds spent by the government in the recent period shows that around N1.3 billion was committed to renovating, expanding and upgrading Government Secondary Schools Fika, Gwio-Kura and Yunusari, N408,867,650 was spent in the feeding of boarding school students during the last academic term and N188,932,300 is being spent in the current (ongoing) academic term.”

Bego said: “The state government has also made a 50 percent down payment to WASC for the 2017 WASC exams; a condition that must be met for any state government to have its students participate in the year’s WASC examinations.

“The remaining 50 per cent will be paid during the year as Yobe students sit for the exams.”

He added that: “Under a special arrangement with the University of Maiduguri, Yobe students undertake a remedial programme each year to enable them fully qualify for admission to various courses in the university. A total sum of N52,565,000 was therefore paid by the government for up to 5,000 students to participate in this year’s remedial programme.”

He said: “The Gaidam administration also spent N971,598,000 as fees for the 2016/2017 session for Yobe students enrolled in the Nigeria-Tulip International Colleges (formerly Nigeria-Turkish International Colleges) in Mamudo, Kano, Kaduna and Abuja campuses.

“The state government has also paid N27,732,250 in registration, examinations and upkeep of Yobe students admitted under a special Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) into Fountain University, Osogbo.”

The governor’s spokesman said his boss has also granted approval for a monthly standing payment of N18.7 million for the purchase of cows to be slaughtered and used for boarding school students across the state.

He added: “The public may also note that the governor has approved N33 million for the drilling of boreholes for potable water supply in the three secondary schools currently being upgraded by the government (in Yunusari, Gwio-Kura and Fika towns).”

He said: “As the upgrade of the three secondary schools nears completion, the governor has ordered a process for the supply of laboratory equipment, classroom and staff room furniture, beddings, library books, and other essential supplies for the schools to move forward.”

He added that: “In keeping with governor’s promise, all these items will be provided to the three affected schools within the next few weeks,” while assuring “parents, students and teachers that his administration will continue to give the educational development of the state the highest possible attention.”