The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

Tackling challenges facing Northern Nigeria: The Uba Sani Prescription

By Abu Mohamed

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, no doubt, is not starry-eyed about the situation of things in Northern Nigeria. He is very realistic when it comes to the challenges facing the region. For him, the sprawling Saharan region in Africa’s most populous country is facing and grappling with “existential threats.” And the only sure way to tackle these myriad of problems was to come to terms with the reality on ground and consciously formulate policies that will result in solutions that are both practicable and realisable. For him, it will amount to time wasting to indulge in blame games and trying to find a scape goat for all the things that are going wrong in the region. He would rather that the region’s elite look themselves in the eye and tell themselves some home truth. For him, playing politics of blame game for the woes the region is facing is not the answer. The answer is in speaking the truth and bracing up and fashioning out solutions to the myriad of problems confronting the region.

His thought and conviction were made known on Monday while welcoming a delegation from the Arewa Consultative Forum, (ACF), led by its new Chairman, Mamman Mike Osuman, SAN, to the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, Kaduna.

In a candid and down to earth manner, Governor Uba Sani declared: “It is clear that Northern Nigeria faces existential threats as we are speaking. This is, therefore, a time for all hands to be on deck to pull the engine back from the brink. We must take a hard look at ourselves, tell ourselves some home truth and move together to fashion a common strategy to address our developmental challenges and confront the criminals making life unbearable for our people,” he stated.

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As a governor, Uba Sani acknowledged that the region is facing daunting and debilitating challenges. He also acknowledged the fact that only in unity of purpose can the region pull together as one indivisible unit to articulate and proffer solutions to whatever challenges it’s facing today. And to defeat the menace of insecurity in its various forms and shapes, the people must necessarily rally together as one, otherwise it would be an academic exercise.

He then identified the ACF as a fit for purpose built vehicle for the major role in building the consensus for “the best approach to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing Northern Nigeria.”

He revealed that the Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, “has been giving an uncommon support to Governors in the North to address their myriad of challenges.” This is contrary to what is being peddled in the social media space trying to castigate President Tinubu for the problems ravaging the North.

Governor Uba Sani rose stoutly to the defence of President Tinubu, whom some elite in the region had singled out for attacks and blames as the cause of the region’s woes.

Hear him: “The narrative that President Tinubu is against the North is false and unbecoming. It’s the handiwork of elements who are experts at political manipulation. We have to tell ourselves the truth, politics is enough, let us talk about development. Northern Nigeria is in crisis. And we should not blame anyone else, we should blame ourselves. That is the fact,” he declared.

Governor Uba Sani then assured the ACF that Kaduna State Government is ready to partner with it on “initiatives that will advance the interest of the people of the North. We want to help reposition ACF to effectively play its roles.”

With that promise, Governor Uba Sani announced the readiness of his government to hand over all the relevant documents of the National Headquarters of the ACF to the new leadership of the organisation. He also pledged the readiness of this administration to help renovate and furnish the building at 11A, Sokoto Road, Kaduna.

“Leadership is critical to holding the North together and mobilizing the people to face the future with hope. Our people are resilient, resourceful and hardworking. We must not despair. Let us take our destiny into our own hands. Let us come together and develop and implement our own Marshal Plan for the development of the North. Arewa will rise again,” Governor Uba Sani declared to a rapturous applause.

In his response which was full of praises and acknowledgement of the realistic, novel and empathy driven leadership of the governor, ACF new chairman, Mamman Osuman, said the body had done everything humanly possible in over 20 years to get the property regularised but with no success, saying Governor Uba Sani made it possible in record time.

The truth is the current blame game by a section of a small but vocal and influential northern elites will never bring solutions to the problems facing the North. Seeking the person to be made a scapegoat is actually a form of escapism because at the end of the day no amount of blame can exculpate the very elites of the region who have for many decades presided over the affairs of the people in the region in various capacities.

It’s in this regard that one must look critically at the “way forward” proposed by Governor Uba Sani. Until one acknowledges all the facts of a problem, finding the right solution to it may just be a mirage.

•Mohamed write from Kaduna

July 26, 2024
Why livestock ministry must not be

Sir: The announcement of imminent establishment of a Federal Ministry of Livestock Development raises two important questions. First, is creating a 49th federal ministry consistent with the advertised objective of Tinubu administration to reduce the cost of governance through the Oronsaye Committee Report Implementation Committee? Second, is enhanced role for the federal government in livestock development consistent with reducing federal government’s functions as promised in president Tinubu’s 80-page manifesto that was released in 2022?

While the seriousness and urgency of tackling livestock-related problems in the country are unquestionable, the solution is NOT in creating a federal ministry. After highlighting the terrible consequences of farmers/herders’ conflicts – “over 60,000 deaths across 22 states since 2001” – the PUNCH editorial of July 15 proffered an eminently sensible solution: “The solution lies in commercial cattle ranches, which must be the prerogative of the states [subnational governments] and private investors…The government should limit itself to technical and financial interventions to support settled ranchers” (bold and italics added). The contrary plea in the editorial of THE NATION on July 23 – “Creation of Ministry of Livestock Development should be given a chance” – is wrong-headed.

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After the over-centralization of about 30 years of rule by brass hats had contributed hugely to the country’s persistent underdevelopment, a civilian president ought not to be foisting increased federal power on the country. The urgent first steps are: (i) immediate review of the distorted revenue allocation formular inherited from the military in 1999 by assigning 65 percent to subnational governments and 35 percent to the central government; and (ii) significant reduction in the central government’s legislative list that will be consistent with the new revenue allocation formular, similar to the provisions in 1954 and 1963 constitutions. At a stroke, an overpowerful and overreaching central government that is funding the establishment of Development Commissions for geopolitical zones and the creation of a new federal ministry will become history.

•Professor Ladipo Adamolekun, Fairfax, Virginia, USA

July 26, 2024
Much ado about minimum wage

Sir: The recent adoption of N70,000 as the new minimum wage is not yet Uhuru for workers. We are all familiar with the unending economic dislocation of the country, which has continued to deteriorate and defy effective remedies. Particularly, the workers are always at the receiving end with their low income chasing highly priced goods and services. The fatalistic repercussion of this is workers’ low productivity in discharging public services and engaging themselves in corrupt practices. Eventually, it is the system that is made to become dysfunctional and consequently the nation is the final and major casualty.

We need to remind ourselves that the bulk of the working class makes up the middle class phenomenon. This symbolic segment of the society can make or mar the success of the political climate of a country as postulated by Aristotle. The working class members are politically and economically downgraded and lack motivating power for national construction because the state of their economy is terribly poor. They are gradually becoming defenceless and hopeless when they are supposed to be the defence of the defenceless as well as the hope of the hopeless.

Workers in Nigeria have been living in serious economic crises which affect their behaviour and working ethics in negative ways. The ‘old’ worker with a patriotic mind is crumbling rapidly. A ‘new’ worker with a disgruntled mind is emerging. Yet, we pretend not to understand the economic security needed by this ‘new’ worker. A worker that is grossly underpaid stands the risk of becoming an open rebel against the code of conducts of civil service operations. A ‘new’ worker influenced by the inordinate desire for survival only is a threat to the statutory functions of the civil service practices and existence. An underpaid worker will never think of harmonising national interest vis-a-vis the mandatory functions of the civil service for nation building.

We are now moving to a frightening point where a civil servant in Nigeria does not enjoy the fruits of job satisfaction. The worker is forced into the ailing system because there is no alternative. Apart from poor salaries, the working conditions of workers especially at the state and local government levels leave much to be desired. The average worker in many states is not guaranteed of his entitlements after service. Thus, there are deficits in creativities, imaginations and innovations by the new worker, who is perpetually afraid of the day of retirement.

To enjoy a new minimum wage that stands the test of time, a well-structured mechanism should be developed to ensure that workers’ salaries are not consistently threatened by inflation. This should be done so that before tomorrow comes, the joy of today’s minimum wage will not be the pains of its fall. For instance, to boost the work ethics of civil servants and ensure the safety of his or her economic well-being, governments at various levels should devise a functional and reliable system whereby workers buy foodstuff and essential commodities at affordable prices.

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A frustrated civil servant is a potential risk to the public service. When the public is not served with diligence and honesty, there will be a breakdown of facts and figures and the process of policy making is greatly hindered. Also, the crisis of poor salaries has paved the way for the consolidation of ‘office politics’. This uncharitable and self-serving politics has rendered potential civil servants to become great merchants of gossip, sycophancy instead of agents of dedication and commitment. The motivating factor for the entrenchment of this mini politics is to win the heart of the ‘boss’ for financial and social gains.

From the foregoing therefore, it is often believed that the rise of a new minimum wage is probably the beginning of its own fall as evidently dictated by persistent economic turbulence. Thus, all hands must be on deck to preserve the new minimum wage so that it will not go the same dilapidated trend and reverse to the old condition.

•Abdu Abdullahi, Ringim, Jigawa State.

July 26, 2024
On the new lease of life for LGs

Sir: A recent Supreme Court judgment granted financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas. The judgment which stressed that Nigeria’s 774 local government areas should control their finances was ground-breaking in many ways. It was also a judicial attempt to correct a historical injustice.

Despite the valiant attempts of the drafters of the constitution, the flaws inherent in Nigeria’s federal structure have hit the local government especially hard. Local governments have remained at the receiving end of executive recklessness and legislative cowardice in many states.

Working closely with state legislators, many governors who desire to govern their states as they deem fit, recognise the danger posed to their greed by the local government. They are also acutely aware that they cannot properly line their pockets with state funds without suppressing the local government areas.

So they usually rig local government elections to put their stooges in office or refuse outright to conduct elections, filling local government positions with their stooges as caretaker chairmen. .

The result of this chilling chicanery is crippling underdevelopment that has continued to mire the grassroots in poverty and underdevelopment despite their undeniable status as the livewire of democracy in Nigeria.

In many ways, the Supreme Court judgment is a victory for Nigerians at the grassroots, who have long been victims of the shameful failure of Nigerian leaders to get their acts together. The judgment has renewed hope that with better resource control and allocation to local government areas in the country, Nigeria’s prodigious resources will pour into areas where they are needed most.

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However, this surge of optimism must be tempered by the fact that though a battle has been won, the war is far from over. A key cause of Nigeria’s lethargic national development is executive disregard for judicial decisions. This often manifests in either ignoring court judgments entirely or obeying them only partially or in breach. Judgments that compel the executive to act in a particular way are frequently ignored or obeyed only in part, often with no serious consequences. The fear is that this far-reaching judgment which seeks to finally free local government areas from the shackles of state governments will be met with disdain.

To prevent this from happening, Nigerians must maintain resolute vigil against the pseudo-democrats and despots they have as governors who constitute the greatest threat to the local government system in Nigeria. This should be done in salutary recognition of the place of the local government areas in Nigeria as the government closest to the grassroots and rural areas.

Many rural communities in Nigeria are without basic infrastructure, clean water, decent healthcare or quality education. Neither do many of them have any access to decent employment opportunities. To add insult to injury, insecurity has compounded the woes of those who live in rural areas. Indeed, many who live in rural areas can argue that Nigeria rather than give them anything has taken all they had.

The Supreme Court judgment is a historic opportunity to bring good governance to local government areas. It is a rare opportunity to breathe new life into the grassroots, which have contributed more than other areas to the growth of democracy in the country. It is time to repay those who live in rural areas for their unwavering faith in Nigeria’s democracy. The debt owed them for the invaluable contributions to the growth of democracy in Nigeria can only be repaid by good governance.

To achieve this, free and fair elections must become the norm at all local government areas. This would ensure the transparent administration of local government areas. This would also bring about accountability in the use of public funds available to local government areas.

Nigerians must prevail on state governors to abstain from usurping the powers of local government areas within their states. Now that the constitutional authority and autonomy of local government areas in the state has been reaffirmed, the powers, and duties of the local government areas can no longer be subject the whims and caprices of state governors.

It is also another achievement for Tinubu administration which obtained the judgment in court and is showing signs that Nigeria may yet get it right.

•Kene Obiezu,keneobiezu@gmail.com

July 26, 2024
Puzzling policing

Predictably, the police tried to give the impression that they did what was expected of them in the case of the five Ondo State abductees released by kidnappers on July 22. The five victims, four corps members and one artisan, were kidnapped by bandits on July 18, at Omi Alafa Village in Ifon, Ose Local Government Area, Ondo State.

The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, in a statement, said the command had found them, adding that they “were abandoned by their assailants after the police mounted pressure on them.”

According to her, “Policemen drawn from the tactical squad led by the Area Commander of Owo, ACP Olufemi Awoyale’s continuous combing of the bush with sustained technical support frustrated the assailants and they were forced to abandon the victims at the Oyinbo/ Sanusi Camp.”

The corps members were said to have been returning to their homes after participating in a three-week National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation programme in Enugu and Abia states.

One of them, Patience Andrew, was reported saying the bus they were travelling in got to Ondo State around 10pm. She said the bandits had killed the driver and a woman sitting beside him. “One guy too was stabbed. Two other people died but we don’t know about the guy who was stabbed because he ran away. Then, they brought us out of the vehicle and took us inside the bush.”

She said the kidnappers “were five in number and their age range should be around 25 years. They were speaking Hausa/Fulani language and they had one interpreter… They tortured us and we were only given garri and water once a day.”

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According to her, the kidnappers demanded ransom of N1m for each of the five victims, and got a total of N5m. Interestingly, she added that they also demanded and got packs of Hollandia yoghurt, loaves of bread, one carton of Peak milk, one pack of malt beverage, cigarettes, cooked rice and chicken.

It is puzzling that the police said nothing about the kidnappers, apart from claiming that they forced them to abandon the kidnappees. If that was all they did, it wasn’t enough.

As law enforcement agents, they were expected to ensure that the kidnappers did not get away with crime. Their failure to apprehend the kidnappers, and allowing them to escape with the ransom and other things they received was poor performance.

July 26, 2024
Kidney disease: Who will Save Gashua residents?

Sir: For years, the people of Bade Local Government Area in Yobe State have been grappling with a mysterious and deadly kidney disease that has claimed thousands of lives. Despite the alarming rate of mortality, the Yobe State government’s efforts to address the issue have been insufficient.

The government’s provision of free kidney dialysis is a welcome step, but it is merely a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of the crisis. The dialysis treatment only serves as a temporary solution, and many patients require ongoing treatment, which can be costly and inaccessible to many.

Yet, the government’s research into the disease is a positive step, but the failure to make the findings public has only added to the frustration and despair of the affected communities.

The people of Bade LGA are eager to know the root causes of the disease, and it is the government’s responsibility to share this information with them. Without knowing the causes, it is impossible to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies. Furthermore, the lack of transparency and communication from the government has meant that the affected communities are left in the dark, unsure of what is being done to address the crisis.

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The impact of the disease extends far beyond the individual, with entire communities affected by the loss of loved ones and the economic burden of caring for those affected.

Meanwhile, the disease has also had a significant impact on the local economy, with many families unable to work or engage in productive activities due to the illness.

The social fabric of the community is being torn apart, and the government’s inaction is only making things worse. It is imperative that the government takes concrete steps to address the crisis, including making the research findings public, improving healthcare facilities, and providing support to those affected by the disease.

The Gashua Kidney Disease is a crisis that requires immediate attention and action. The Yobe State government must take responsibility for addressing this crisis and ensuring that the people of Bade LGA receive the support and care they need. The government’s failure to act will only lead to more suffering and death. It is time for the government to put the needs of its people first and take concrete steps to address this devastating disease.

The people of Bade LGA cannot afford to wait any longer for their government to respond to this crisis.

•Kasim Isa Muhammad,Damaturu, Yobe State.

July 25, 2024
A call to reflect before protest

Sir: This is just to remind our fellow youths what life would be like if the enemies within and outside succeeded in mobilizing innocent young people to bring down Nigeria under the guise of protesting against government policies they perceive as unfriendly to their well-being. If people eat once daily now and move freely in some areas within the country, chances are that some would spend days and nights hungry and unable to move freely even within their vicinities if the protest held as planned, thereby slimming down to graves in hundreds and thousands. This is something I would never wish for my enemies, let alone my loved ones.

In a viral video I watched on Facebook, the acclaimed leader and organizer of the planned nationwide August protest, Comr. Murtala Garba, said that he had withdrawn from the planned protest after realizing that some unpatriotic power mongers and anti-peace agents are the ones financing the protest at the expense of peace and unity of the nation.

He said: “Everybody knows that we are pro-North and we are always ready to stand for the interest of the region. We started planning for the protest during the Ramadan period when we went to the market for shopping and realized that the price of a bag of sugar had unbelievably increased. That was when we realized that the removal of subsidy by this government would predictably lead to a high cost of living, so we started criticizing it on various social media platforms across Africa. We started getting support from Nigerian diasporans, largely from America, China, and other Arab countries.”

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The activist confessed that a high-profile individual from the southern part of Nigeria had invited him and 52 individuals to Port Harcourt for a meeting on the planned nationwide August protest.

“We spent a day in Port Harcourt and then moved to Delta State, where we spent six days. We planned for the peaceful protest to take place across the 36 states of the federation, but they started telling us that they only want us to do it in selected states of the North comprising Kaduna, Abuja, and Jos because they trust us. They went on to tell us that they want us to block roads, adding that they will link us up with. That was what got me thinking as to who those youths are that are better than us in the country and yet we don’t know them?

“Honestly, they gave us money and we collected it, returned to our region, and some of our elders started talking to us about it, and succeeded in convincing us to suspend the protest, not because we are happy with the government’s policies but because of its foreseen consequences considering the forces behind it.”

Garba did not list the names of the people who invited him to Port Harcourt perhaps due to fear of the unknown. However, he concluded by asking the government to heed the calls to reconsider the fuel subsidy removal, mentioning that some powerful Nigerians are planning to topple the government.

“They revealed the total number of police and other security forces in the Villa and promised to provide adequate manpower to support them and overwhelm the security forces. The protest is shaky and cruel to the nation. Therefore, I distance myself from it.”

Those of us who are from Maiduguri will never want to experience the taste of war. It is obvious that some people want Nigeria to go into war, forgetting that no West African country can accept us as refugees if we break, due to our overwhelming population that surpasses half of the entire population of West Africa.

Coming to the North, those Kano TikTok influencers are ignorant of the protest they were calling for because they seem to be unaware that Kano remains the only state in the North where people enjoy relative peace despite the power tussle going on between Emir Sanusi (enthroned) and Emir Bayero (dethroned). Businesses are going about smoothly, and farmers access their farmlands fearlessly, unlike Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and Borno, where farmers write their wills every day before going to their farms.

Some readers may ask about the solution to the economic hardship facing Nigerians since we unapologetically condemn the planned protest and urge like-minded individuals to shun it.

In my opinion, the solution is near, as our Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries will start operations soon. This will reduce the cost of production and transportation, thereby lowering commodity prices by default. The inflation is largely caused by the cost of transportation, which currently costs marketers twice the purchasing amount.

Therefore, I kindly call on the government to expedite the realization of the refinery projects and commence operations as soon as possible because it is the only realistic and achievable approach to ameliorate living standards in the country.

•Lawan Bukar Maigana,Lawanbukarmaigana@gmail.com

July 25, 2024
Tunji Adegboyega’s tribute to Prof Dare

Sir: I can’t wait till next Sunday for the concluding bit of Niyi Osundare’s piece celebrating the 80th birthday of Professor Olatunji Dare. Let me begin by accusing you of ‘pilfering’ my thoughts or impressions last Sunday in your celebration of our professional mentor’s life-in the person of Professor Olatunji Dare.

Nevertheless I must honestly admit that you made my day in your almost exhaustive celebration of this intellectual prodigy’s landmark birthday.

So in writing this my rejoinder to your last Sunday’s piece, I need to introduce myself as one of Prof. Dare’s 1975/76 Mass Communication diploma students on Radio Nigeria in-service training. I was in the same set (co-sponsored) with our dear late Remi Oke (later Mrs Remi Oyo) the chief spokesperson for former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Remi was also a Radio Nigeria’s staff then.

Little did I know at that time that God was using Prof. Dare to shape me up into becoming an instrument In God’s hand as a gospel writer when I later found myself in the Anglican Communion priesthood.

Your reference to our 80-year old celebrant as a satirist immediately reminds me of one of my books- The Gospel According To Your Sense Of Humour billed to be launched in a few months’ time. In the book I acknowledged the influence of my Unilag’s Functional English teacher vis-a-vis the inspiration I received that enabled me come up with the compilation of the gospel messages.

A paragraph under ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to the book states inter alia:

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“I wish to also place on record the influence of my ‘Functional English’ teacher at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Olatunji Dare who later, as chairman, Editorial Board of THE GUARDIAN shook the political firmament of late 70s and early 80s (the Shagari era) with his weekly Tuesday column in the newspaper as a master satirist “in every material particular”.

The last time I had the grace of meeting this my great influencer was in Bauchi in year 1989 at a Federal Government-sponsored conference organised by DIFRRI-the then Directorate of Food Roads and Rural Infrastructure which was one of Gen. Babangida’s pet projects. I was then still in Radio Nigeria.

Allow me then to add mine to the harvest of compliments Baba (Prof) Olatunji Dare must have received over the landmark birthday event last week.

Congratulations and many happy returns of July 17 Sir.

•Ven.Tayo Adebayo (rtd),Idi-Ayunre, Ibadan.

July 25, 2024
SEDC and the rest of the Southeast

Sir: President Bola Tinubu has signed the South East Development Commission into law, signalling the federal government’s recognition of the pressing need to develop the Southeast beyond relying solely on the state leaders.

Despite the responsibilities placed on the governors for governance, their performance has been lacking over the years. The commission’s primary objective is to crystalize development in the Southeast and I hope it will be implemented with strict adherence to the Act’s content.

There is no disputing the fact that the aftermath of the Biafran War severely set back the Southeast by decades. This much was alluded to by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who spearheaded this discussion alongside other Southeast lawmakers.

The Southeast, despite its wealth in natural resources, has faced prolonged underdevelopment and degradation such that it is struggling to catch up with other parts of the country. There is renewed hope for meaningful progress with the establishment of this commission.

Read Also: Oba of Benin urges aggrieved Nigerians to shelve planned protest

This commission’s efforts must be directed towards sustainable development projects in key areas- healthcare, agriculture, infrastructural development, and ecological and environmental challenges.

This commission must avoid the pitfalls of corruption and inefficiency that have plagued other similar entities, such as the NDDC and OMPADEC of the Babangida era. The NDDC, in particular, has become synonymous with monumental corruption, leaving the Niger Delta in a state of severe underdevelopment, fostering militancy, youth restiveness, et al.

By learning from past mistakes and focusing on genuine development, this commission has the potential to transform Ala Igbo. This commission must not become another instance of “food for the boys.” This commission must establish transparent processes, ensure accountability, and prioritize projects that directly benefit Ndi Igbo. If these goals are achieved, the Southeast can finally overcome its historical setbacks and move towards a brighter tomorrow.

•Chiechefulam Ikebuiro,Chiechefulamikebuiro@gmail.com

July 25, 2024
Crisis of learning

Nigeria faces a crisis of learning if findings from an Enugu State survey accurately reflect what obtains nationwide. And it most likely does. Secretary to the Enugu State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, recently disclosed that 50 percent of pupils in the state could not read in English or solve basic mathematical problems. Those who manage to read, he added, faced challenges with comprehension.

Onyia made the findings known in a keynote address he delivered at the quadrennial convention of the Old Boys Association of Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw. The Enugu government, according to him, made the discovery in its Baseline Assessment of primary schools in the state conducted in November 2023. “Our findings were shocking. After six years of primary school, 50 percent of our children cannot read a single word in English, and those who manage to read face challenges in comprehension. On top of that, 50 per cent of our children are unable to tackle simple subtraction problems. What we’ve found in Enugu State mirrors the situation across our nation,” he said.

The SSG bemoaned the state of things, but expectedly spoke of remedial measures being implemented by the administration of Governor Peter Mbah in which he serves. He said that in Nigeria, three out of four children who complete basic education lacked proficiency in literacy and numeracy – a situation that some international agencies described as ‘the Nigerian Learning Crisis.’ Part of the problem, according to Onyia, is that teaching methods fail to equip children with vital skills in science, technology, productivity and digital competence.

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Although he didn’t provide details, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas apparently had the same crisis in mind when he recently announced a policy to raise the minimum qualification criteria for teachers in his state. He said his administration planned to make Master’s degree the minimum qualification for teaching in the state’s secondary schools, while a Bachelor will be the minimum qualification for teaching in primary schools. Speaking when he hosted journalists to a dinner in Jalingo, the governor said the era where the National Certificate of Education (NCE) is the minimum academic qualification for primary school teachers was coming to an end. “In no distant time, primary schoolteachers in Taraba must be first degree holders, while secondary school teachers must have a minimum of Master’s degree to enhance the quality of education in the state,” he stated inter alia.

The country is blighted by a new generation of neoliths, and it is helpful this is being officially acknowledged. But merely raising the certification level of teachers will not cut it; there is rather a need to cultivate passionate educators with requisite career incentives. That is what is lacking and need be emplaced.

July 25, 2024