The Executive Chairman of Sokoto state Universal Basic Education Board, Hon. Altine Shehu Kajiji has attributed the disturbing statistical rate of out-of- school kids in the State to parental lukewarm attitude to education of their wards.
Speaking in Sokoto at the Go- Green project grand distribution of improved seedlings to various groups and professional associations including the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Sokoto state chapter , Kajiji said parents should see themselves as primary drivers and mobilisers of children enrolment in school.
According to him, all hands must be on deck to drive the mandate of SUBEB inorder to achieve better enrolment results.
He said that no society can fully develop without education , hence the need for children to acquire basic education to become useful to themselves and society.
” They need to be encouraged to acquire basic formal education. Government is always ready to support learning and teaching with the necessary facilities, ” he stated.
Kajiji, who noted that the world was knowledge driven, said it revolves around education.
He said that the State Government through the board has progressively reduced the gap between OOSC and those in school by improving enrolment.
“This is not to say we have achieved our mandate target. Parents have to support the project by keeping eyes on their wards to ensure we realised our dream, ” the former lawmaker clarified.
Distributing the seedlings, Kajiji stressed that importance of tree planting from the religious and social perspectives of saving the environment and usefulness to humanity.
According to the former lawmaker and Chairman , Maikoli Foundation which is piloting the Go-Green project in partnership with Eco Africa and the NUJ, human survival was primarily driven by the ecosystem which he noted was faced with challenges of climate change.
” To his is why we are committed to driving this project for humanity and economic prosperity of our state and nation as a whole”, he explained.
Sirajo Dalhatu Sifawa, who commended the wonderful foresight of the initiator, said protecting the environment from the challenges of disasters as flood, desertification, erosion among others was necessary for the survival of humanity.
According to him: “The culture of planting trees must not jettisoned for economic,environmental and health reasons.
” Trees are useful for beautification and protection of the environment, economic and human existence as they produce the oxygen we take in,” he explained.
He called on all and sundry to collectively support the Go-Green project to revive the culture of tree planting especially in Sokoto state to mitigate the effects of climate change.