By Sanni Onogu, Abuja and Gbenga Omokhunu
The Senate President Ahmad Lawan yesterday explained the rationale behind the N25 billion education appeal fund by the government of Yobe State.
Lawan said the idea was to reposition the education sector and avail the children of Yobe State, particularly the indigent ones, the opportunity to go to school and become useful to themselves and society.
The Senate President spoke at the Yobe State Education Fundraiser which was held in Abuja yesterday. The information was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Ola Awoniyi.
Lawan, who is also indigenous to Yobe State, said the situation in his state was good until the insurgents struck and caused incalculable damage.
“In the Northeastern state before the former Borno State and currently Yobe State, we received support from the government for our education.
“I didn’t have to pay anything to be in primary school. In fact, I was given something. My parents were encouraged to send me to school.
“That is what we want to achieve by raising N25 billion and the N25 billion is not going to solve all the problems but definitely it will reposition our education sector better.
“If we are able to deal with our educational challenge in Yobe, we are not the only people to benefit from the educated people in our state.
“Today, you have many people from Yobe working in different parts of the country. In fact, in different parts of the world but they are, of course, indigenous to Yobe,” Lawan said.
The Senate President assured the donors that the donations would be “very prudently applied, very responsibly utilised.”
Also, yesterday, Governor Mai Mala-Buni disclosed that his administration had constructed and renovated over 300 schools, established six model schools and seven mega schools across the state.
Buni stated this at the Yobe State Education Fundraiser with the theme: “Revitalising Education in Yobe State,” held at Sheraton Hotel, in Abuja.
The governor also revealed that the state government had procured textbooks and laboratory equipment worth N1 billion and supplied class and office furniture worth over N1 billion to create an atmosphere conducive to teaching and learning in the schools.
Buni also said his administration had trained and retrained about 10,000 teachers to improve their capacity on teaching methodology to impart knowledge and skills efficiently and effectively.
He said: “Our investment in education in the past two years has paid off considerably.”
“I also wish to appreciate the Federal Government, our development partners and the World Bank for supporting our efforts to revitalise education in Yobe State.
“Consequent to this challenge, we decided to approach you, our potential benefactors to seek your support for funds estimated at N25 billion.
“This will go a long way to help us satisfactorily sustain the delivery of the work we have set out to achieve,” Buni said.
He explained that the fundraiser would enable the state to develop and maintain a high standard of education philosophy; education policy; legal, regulatory, and institutional arrangement in the basic and secondary education sub-sector.
He also said the fund would help the state to eliminate the problem of out-of-school children; maintain the highest standard of enrolment, attendance, and retention with special attention to girls’ education.