ABUJA – Kebbi State Gov Usman Dakingari has called on the Federal Government and TETfund to intervene in the educational sector in the state.
Dakingari made the call in Abuja on Monday during a courtesy visit to TETfund.
He said that education was a very important sector in every society which should not be neglected as it could also help in poverty reduction.
According to him, education is number one in the eradication of poverty and if poverty could be reduced, crime will also be reduced to its bearest minimum.
He noted that Tetfund had intervened a lot in the educational sector of the state in both infrastructural and human capacity development.
“TETfund has taken care of Kebbi State very well in the education sector that is why I am here in person to thank them for a job well done and also solicit for more intervention.
“ It has for provided funds for the new state polytechnic project located in Dakingari, and has also provided capacity development programmes for staff members in tertiary institutions in the state.
“I have been privileged to visit the new site for the new federal university; there are three buildings standing there today and I assure you that the allocation given by the Federal Government and the TETfund is what is on ground there.’’
Dakingari added that with the commitment of government and TETfund to the work on the projects, good progress had been made and the projects would be soon completed.
The governor said that the state government had built an ultra-modern 250-bed hospital and with 100 housing units attached to it, which would be transferred to the Federal Government as a teaching hospital.
He further underscored the importance of education in poverty and crime reduction.
“ If we don’t establish tertiary institutions, it is just like a bottle that has a wide bottom with a very small neck and this will create crime and other vices in the country, so we need to open the top of the bottle.
“ The only people that can do that is the state government and TETfund; this is why we are soliciting for these funds,’’ he said.
Responding, TETFUND Executive Secretary Sulieman Bogoro said that the governor’s visit showed the level of importance he attached to education.
Bogoro that the management and board of trustees would look into his request and help the people of Kebbi State.
“Whatever the board decides that the people of Kebbi State deserve from TETfund, we would be glad to provide,’’ he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Musa Babayo said that TETfund had done so much to restore, rehabilitate and consolidate the education sector in the country through different intervention models.
Babayo said that models such as the provision of infrastructure, capacity building and other areas of education had added value to knowledge and scholarship.
He said that the board’s staff and management of TETfund would key into the developmental agenda of the state government in the education sector.
Babayo also commend the effort of President Goodluck Jonathan to reduce significantly the number of street children through the establishment of Almajiri Schools in the northern states. (NAN)