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Tag: Masari

  • Masari bans unlawful assembly in Katsina

    Masari bans unlawful assembly in Katsina

    Kaduna State Governor Aminu Masari has signed an order banning any form of unlawful assembly in the state.

    The ban was announced yesterday in a statement by Masari’s media aide, Abdu Labaran.

    Labaran said the February 27 order was in consonance with the power conferred on the governor by Section 97 (A) of the Penal Code.

    “Governor Masari declared that any assembly of two or more persons in any part of Katsina State is, hereby, banned.

    “The assembly, by whatever name and whether members are armed or not, is banned.

    “And if the objective of the assembly is to kill, injure, harass and intimidate the public or provoke breach of public peace, or go against the government or any public servant in exercising his lawful powers, resist execution of any law or of any legal process; or commit any mischief or criminal trespass or other offence.

    “Or enforce any right or supposed right by means of criminal force or show of criminal force; or compel any person to do what he/she is not legally bound to do or prevent to do what he/she is legally entitled to do by means of criminal force or show of criminal force,” he said.

    The statement added that defaulters will be prosecuted.

  • Peace will soon return to Northwest APC, says Masari

    Peace will soon return to Northwest APC, says Masari

    Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari spoke with  reporters in Katsina, the state capital, on his  administration’s achievements in the education, agriculture and health sectors. The governor also spoke on his predecessor, Ibrahim Shema, who is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption. KOLADE ADEYEMI was there.

    How are you tacking the challenges of governance Katsina State?

    I think education is one of the cornerstones of our agenda. You know, lack of education is partly responsible for what has happened between the herdsmen and the vigilante who are protecting the community. You see, it there are sufficient and qualitative education, even if it is up to secondary school level, we wouldn’t have the escalation that we experienced. I remember there was a day former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was in Katsina, and there was an incident of herdsmen and community clash in Faskari, which claimed the lives of over 200 people. So, I think if we address the issue of education seriously, we would have done a lot. Apart from education, there must be access to health facilities. There should also be access to potable water. Another critical issue is agriculture—you know, the beauty of agriculture is that whatever the farmer sells goes to his pocket, whatever the livestock holder has goes to his pocket. So, if you want to empower the rural community, empower them on agriculture. That is the major difference between money from agriculture and money from oil; because if say okay produce oil and sell it to ourselves, you find out that it is not possible and the oil money doesn’t go to that ordinary person, it goes to the multi-national oil companies and we end up with royalties. Since the ordinary man does not involve in exploration and production of oil, we only rely on the figure given to us and the common man actually will not benefit anything from it directly, but in agriculture, the common man is always involved. So, if you empower the ordinary person, your source of revenue base will expand and business and commercial activities will grow. There will be massive production and dead factories will come back to life; and the demand for energy will increase—the demand for energy will also attract investors who will be interested in the sector. So, it is just like a circle. So, if you want to address the problem of Nigeria, you have to start with education. So, the consequent of insurgency is lack of education. In the Northeast, we have Boko Haram because there is lack of education which contributed to the failure of the institutions. Ninety nine per cent of Boko Haram insurgents were neither literate in Islamic or western education, because if they were, they will know that that type of Jihad is not normal.

    What is the solution to the leadership crisis rocking the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the Northwest?

    I think you watched this wildlife documentary. You know, when the lion or tigers are chasing a prey, everybody will see it; when the prey is down or is being killed, then, in terms of eating the meat, there will be serious quarrel among them-and even those who are not participants like the Hhnes and the wild dogs who are not participants in the killing will come. So, the bigger one among them, will always carry the meat and run away. If it Leopard, it will take part of his own and climb the tree. But if that meat is not available, you will not see any of them fighting. They fight because there is something to fight for, and that is why they are fighting. And again, there are two things that you have to accept. One, the fact that there are some problems that are historical; two, I think there is a jinx in Kano which we are hoping the current leadership will break in the future, because they were together since 1999 and I don’t think Kwankwaso or Ganduje can build any political alliance that will last to the time they have lasted. 1999 to 2015 is not a joke, and I seriously doubt if they can build such political alliance that can last for over 16 years with anybody. So, their political life and career are inter-twined. So, we thought with this political marriage and deep understanding between Kwankwaso and Ganduje, with it, the political jinx in Kano would have been broken.  Mallam Aminu Kano and late Abubakar Rimi were fighting. From then on, that of Sabo Barkin Zuwo didn’t last more than three months. During the NRC and the SDP, Kabiru Gaya parted ways with his people like Abba Dabo, who was his former SSG. The crack was visible. Kwankwaso came in 1999 and parted ways with Musa Gwadebe and others. So, when Shekarau came, with all what General Muhammadu Buhari did for him, they fell apart in the ANPP. Kwankwaso in PDP and he fell out with the PDP again and joined the new PDP, later the APC. So, we thought that, at least this time, having been together for a long time, the jinx would have been broken. But, we are working behind the scene to see how we can bring the two of them together so that they can stop what they are doing to themselves because the energy the government is spending, the energy Kwankwaso is spending; that energy would have been used for the development of Kano better than what is happening. In Kaduna, it was an amalgamation of various political groups that formed the APC and these are the groups that are not really united. The groups are not united and the groups are the ones that the current governor, Nasir El-Rufai, which foundation has been the CPC and those in more of the opposition and new entrants from the new PDP, and those of the ACN and those of the ANPP. I think the inter-play in the political circle in Kaduna is more between these groups. So, really, you can see there is a slight difference between that of Kano and Kaduna.

    What have you done to bring back sanity and transparency in the state?

    What is happening to the former governor today is a lesson to us all that is in office today. The same people who were clearing ways and roads for him to pass are the same people who are blocking his way to freedom. I think this is a real lesson for our leaders. It is a lesson to leadership. It is not something that one should laugh at. But certainly, we as Nigerians, we have to draw a line. There is a certain level that we cannot descend. We should listen to the voice of wisdom, especially those outside the government; because those working directly with you or under you may not the courage to tell you the truth. They will hardly look you in the face and tell you the truth. For me, I like the truth no matter how bitter it is. Truth itself doesn’t hide, but the way it is said because there is a way which my messenger can come and advice me, and there are ways he comes and talks to me, I will consider it. So, it is the ways and means of how you tell the truth that matters. I always say this that it is not truth that is the problem but how it is said. As leaders, we should try to answer that word leader, because leaders means one that is in the front and others are following—whether in character or conduct or behavior or attitude—that is a leader. The problem we have today is that there are so many rulers, not leaders. Rulers are all over the place, but leaders are difficult to find.

    What are you doing to curtail  cattle rustling in Katsina  State?

    The process started way back in 2015, when we came on board. When we came in, it was at the highest point of insecurity, especially affecting nine of our local government borders. The borders in the forest areas include Zamfara, Katsina and others. We realised that the forest extended to Zamfara, Kebbi, Kaduna and Niger. On this side, and we realised also that no one state alone can deal with the situation decisively, except with the cooperation of other bordering states, because if we operate against the cattle rustlers in Katsina State on this side, they will just run to Kaduna, kebbi or Niger states. So, we the five states, decided initially, that is Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger, to meet in a common approach, because all the military formations are under Kaduna State. So, we all agreed among ourselves to seat with the military, the airforce, the customs, because they have helicopters they use for air surveillance, over the roles they play to combat smuggling. And the civil defence in order to identify and fish-out and point out where the cattle rustlers are in the forests. After that meeting, we informed the president, who also directed the service chief, including the Chief of Defence Staff and the Head of Service. We sat with them and we agreed and the Kaduna operation started last year. After that, we now decided that every state should now come together and re-enforce all our security outfits. The joint ecurity outfits were now mandated to start patrolling the trouble spots. So, after reaching a certain level, we now realised that we cannot permanently station the army and the police in the forests. The only thing was for us to negotiate. Luckily enough for us, the person that emerged as the chairman of the task force was the leader of Miyeti-Allah in Kaduna state (a Fulani man), an enlightened and educated person who speaks the language and knows the culture. He facilitated the meetings between us and the cattle rustlers. From the initial meetings, we learnt a lot. We learnt that over 95% of those in the forests are the criminals.

  • Masari to establish teaching hospital

    Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, has expressed disgust over the refusal of the Federal Ministry of Health to allow the state government acquire and convert the Federal Medical Centre to serve as a Teaching Hospital for Umar Musa Yar’Adua University. The development, Masari fears, might slow down his administration’s plan to develop the health sector.

    Masari, who spoke to reporters over his two-week business trip to China and India, revealed that his administration has commenced a programme that will at the end of the day, ensure that the state gets a deserving teaching hospital that will serve the state-owned university to offer courses in Medicine.

    According to him, over 600 medical staff will soon be recruited to serve in the health facilities that are already being put in place in the state.

    Masari further explained that his dream was to ensure that before the end of his first tenure, the state-owned university would have commenced a School of Medicine, with a befitting Teaching Hospital.

    He said: “You know we are very much concerned about our Eye Centre. We want to develop this Eye Centre to a department so that it can click into our plan of developing the supposed specialist hospital into a full-fledged teaching hospital.

    “Right now, we have commissioned our consultants to come out with clear reasons why we are developing a teaching hospital. We are doing this because we have a university called the Katsina State University. This is a university which has started preparations to do Medicine and you cannot do Medicine without a teaching hospital.

    “When we contacted the Federal Ministry of Health to see the possibilities of allowing the university to upgrade the Federal Medical Centre as a teaching hospital, they (government) told us that since we have a university in Katsina State, and probably in the future that university may start offering Medicine and will want the services of a Federal Medical Centre.

    “So, in effect, they were saying that they will not give us! And so, the best option for us is to see how we are going to upgrade our own health facilities. Luckily enough, we have started working on Katsina General Hospital; and we have also contacted sons of Katsina State who are experts in the medical field.”

    “We have also placed an advert for the recruitment of over 600 medical staff.  Right now, we have employed the services of consultants. They are professionals in the medical field and they are going to offer professional services. Now, we are doing that, even in other sectors.

    “For instance, our own university-the Umar Musa Yar’Adua University wants to start offering medical courses; and you cannot operate any department of Medicine without a standard Teaching Hospital. For this reason, we wrote to the Federal Ministry of Health, because Gombe was given a Federal Medical Hospital and it was updated to Teaching Hospital; Ebonyi was also given.

    “So, on the basis of these two experiences, we wrote, and the Federal Ministry of Health replied us that they cannot, because they also have a federal institution right in the future in need of services of a Federal Medical Centre.

    “I came back home, and asked myself-‘Why can’t we start looking at what we have and see how we can upgrade them.

    “So, we invited our own professionals, and again, we have also invited international consultants, that will come and see how we can work with their own professionals. Like I told you, once you have somebody who was a managing director of a teaching hospital and a vice chancellor of a university for eight years, he is sufficiently equipped,” he said.

     

  • How we’ll boost Katsina economy, by Masari

    Fresh from a trip to China and India, Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari lays out his administration’s plan to lift the state’s economy. KOLADE ADEYEMI reports

    There is the belief that foreign partners will make a huge impact in the state’s growth. But there is no question that Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari wants much of the growth to be driven by the state’s assests and its people. He laid out his plans

    “In the health sector,” he said,  “we have already placed order for equipment for three general hospitals. We have also made an advert for the recruitment of over 600 medical staff.

    On agriculture, he said:  “We are making serious progress. The Deputy Governor is the chairman of the Agriculture Team. He is also the Commissioner in charge of Agriculture. We also brought in a professional who was a consultant to various international organisations on agriculture, Dr. Abba Abdullahi. I must tell you that I am impressed by what they are doing now. They are doing a ground work. You know, agriculture is not all about fertilizer; because mere distribution of fertilizer is all about ceremony which the governor s are very interested in doing so that the cameras and  media will capture them. Here in Katsina, we are doing the most important work now. We are doing the census because we want to know who-is-who, we are identifying the real farmers, we are identifying the farm lands, we want to know which type of fertilizer is suitable for the farmlands, which implements are suitable for the farmlands. We are doing the basic ground work, we have sufficient money in place; and when we are through with the ground work, we will also start rehabilitating some of the smaller dams.

    “When we were campaigning, what we were saying was that given the availability of resources, it is our intention to provide a dam in each of the Wards, intending to open the availability of small steam that can engage between 30 to 50 farm lands on irrigation agriculture. So, for us to that, we need a comprehensive study. Like we said several times, this government is not, and there is no intention of approaching any project blindfolded so that we can achieve quick and unsustainable political gain—that means we want to play to the gallery. No. We want to be realistic, we want to true to our words.  Basically, we have to do what is right, we want to lay a solid foundation for a more sustainable agriculture in Katsina State.

    “We have also started discussing with some interested people about wood farming, you know, wood farming is new. People did not know that if you have two hectares of wood land, and you are harvesting it every year, you make more money than the farmer. There are certain types of trees that you plant that will give inexplicable returns. So, we are introducing wood farming so that people will know the benefit and the dangers of falling trees without re-planting them.

    Masari specifically spoke on rice production, saying, “Katsina State is one of the leading states in rice production, and you know, there is a serious drought on rice. You know that Nigerians have been cultured into eating rice. It is unlike when I was growing up—the stable food then was guinea corn and millet. Later on, maize came. In fact, maize was more of a ceremonious food during our time, but as time moved on; it became a stable food with the coming of the Funtua agricultural project in the 1970s. So, really, I think it is better to eat what you have and what you can produce than to depend on somebody to give you.  So, I believe, there is some difficulties initially; but when we are able to cross over the difficulties of this year, by next year, there will be abundance in rice production in Katsina state. In fact, prices of rice has already started going down because the new rice are already in the market; and I am sure, between now and October, the prices of rice will relatively stabilize.  You are also aware that Central Bank of Nigeria is organizing one project on the promotion of rice production, and in Katsina state we have 50, 000 participants.

    Speaking on the trip to China and India, Masari said, “We were invited to China by some companies that are doing business with Katsina state government; and some that are interested in doing business with Katsina state government. The purpose was for us to see their offices and their capacities outside the country, and to see what connection we have in order to facilitate our developmental projects. Based on our invitation, we met with those companies that are doing business with Katsina state government and those companies who are in Nigeria and have the intention to do business with Katsina state government. There are some of these companies that have their branches here in Katsina state but are doing business with the Federal Government, but due to this visit, we have now opened door for business transactions with those

  • Masari calls for reconciliation in Edo APC

    Masari calls for reconciliation in Edo APC

    The Chairman of the seven-man Committee that conducted the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary, Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari, has called for reconciliation in the chapter to prevent post-primary crisis.

    He said the chapter can only retain power, if members unite.

    Masari, who has submitted his report to the national leadership of the party,  said a reconciliation committee should be set up to pacify and unite aggrieved members.

    He said reconciliation will strengthen the party, ahead of the election.

    He said: “There is an urgent need for the Party to set up a high-powered reconciliation team to meet with the governor, all aspirants and other critical stakeholders to strengthen the party and restore harmony for a successful governorship election.

    “The committee commends the efforts of the Commissioner of Police, the Director, State Security Service, the Commandant-General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and their men for the remarkable way they handled the entire exercise.

    “The committee hereby expresses its appreciation to the Party for finding its members worthy of such important assignment, and pledge the loyalty and commitment of all its members to the Party and the Nation.

    “The committee also appreciates the support of the Government of Edo State which aided it in the discharge of this assignment.”

    The APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who received the report at the National Secretariat in Abuja, thanked the committee for successfully conducting the primary.

    Other members of the committee included Hon. Andrew Uchendu (Secretary), Hon.  Yusuf Maianguwa, Dr. Tunde Esan, Alhaji Shuaibu Musa, Alhaji Ibrahim Soja and Mr. Amara Iwuanyanwu.

  • Buhari consults Nnamani, Masari

    Buhari consults Nnamani, Masari

    •President seeks advice on budget

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday took his consultations on the crisis-ridden Budget 2016 to former National Assembly leaders.

    The meeting with former Senate President Ken Nnamani and one-time Speaker of the House of Representatives and Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari  at the Presidential Villa was to enable the President decide how to resolve the budget impasse, it was learnt.

    President Buhari declined to sign the budget after identifying various insertions  by the lawmakers as well as the exclusion of some “legacy” projects, especially the Calabar-Lagos rail project.

    But a statement on Sunday by the Chairmen of the Appropriation Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, Senator Danjuma Goje and Alhaji Abdulmumin Jubrin, urged the lawmakers to end the crisis by reflecting the presidential additions this week.

    A meeting between the President and the lawmakers is expected to hold this week.

    Nnamani, the senate president who killed the third term bid of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said what he suggested to President Buhari “stands to reason”. He described it as a good way out of the budget impasse.

    He said he believed that what he suggested was being studied.

    He said: “ Budget is an area where we practise what we call co-management between the National Assembly and the executive branch of government; both of them co-manage the economy through the budget.  It’s a peculiar area; both of them will have to cooperate and collaborate for a proper budget to be passed and once it is passed, it becomes law.

    “So, as it stands today, the situation is such that the National Assembly has to do what is called introspection. How did we get to where we are now? The year is running out and we are still talking about 2016 budget; where is the fault from?

    “Wherever it is coming from, both the executive and the legislature must find a quick solution to it. It does nobody good to drag it any longer. Remember it is an area of co-management; it is not left to the executive alone, it is not left to the National Assembly alone, there has to be collaboration.

    “I think it stands to reason, what I suggested is being studied, I think it is appropriate.”

    He denied that he had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after resigning from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “I will not join a party in secret. When it is time I am joining any party, I will make it public. Today I am bipartisan,” he said.

    Governor Masari said the President was right to have withheld his assent.

    “You know I am now an executive and I signed budget for Kastina State and before I did that I made sure I knew what I was signing. So take it as I said.”

    On what should be the focus of this administration, he said the way to go is to go back to the basics, which are agriculture and natural resources.

    He said: “I said it before and I am saying it again, there was a time Katsina State was entirely dependent on its natural resources. Those resources are still there and I believe that we are sensitising the general public and the world to know that there are lots of opportunities in Katsina and in Kastina, with proper investment, we believe we can make it; we believe we can survive on the natural resources and agriculture and other resources that abound in Nigeria.

    “So that is why we have tagged this “Economic and Development Summit” but also we are refocusing to encourage our own local investors, those who have N100,000 to invest can make more money than leaving the money in the bank.

    “Essentially, our focus will be on agriculture and agriculture of selected crops and we are focusing on the natural ginger,

    “We are focusing on the area of irrigated agriculture in the area of rice, cotton and other crops. We also have gold and diamond in Katsina but what we can lay our hands now is in the area of agriculture.”

  • Buhari, Masari, Nnamani meet over 2016 Budget

    Buhari, Masari, Nnamani meet over 2016 Budget

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed door with former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Bello Masari, as part of efforts to resolve the 2016 Budget crisis.

    Many grey areas in the 2016 Budget had prevented Buhari from signing the appropriation bill into law.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Senator Ken Nnamani said what he suggested to President Buhari is to find a good way out of the Budget impasse.

    The former Senate president said that he believed that what he suggested is being studied by the President.

    He said: “The issue on budget, well budget is an area where we practice what we call co-management between the National Assembly and the executive branch of government. Both of them co-manage the economy through the budget. Both of them will have to cooperate and collaborate for a proper budget to be passed and once it is passed, it becomes law.

    “So as it stands today the situation is such that the National Assembly has to do what is called introspection, that how did we get to where we are now? The year is running out and we are still talking about 2016 budget, where is the fault from?

    “Wherever it is coming from, both the executive branch and the legislature must find a quick solution to it. It does nobody good to drag it any longer, remember it is an area of co-management. It is not left to the executive alone, it is not left to the National Assembly alone, there has to be collaboration.

    “I think he stands to reason, what I suggested is being studied. I think it is appropriate.”

     

  • Katsina: Masari walks tight rope over new policy

    Katsina: Masari walks tight rope over new policy

    Katsina State governor, Aminu Masari, is under intense pressure to reverse a new education policy his government has put in place to curtail financial wastes, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

    Pressure is growing on the Government of Katsina State to abandon its newly introduced mock examination for students in secondary schools and continue to purchase West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) forms for free distribution to final year students.

    Divided opinions continued to trail the decision since Governor Aminu Masari confirmed the determination of his administration to save the state’s scarce resources by enrolling only serious students for external examinations. This followed what he described as the shocking outcome of the first state-wide mock examination conducted by the Ministry of Education.

    While some educationists and analysts are in support of the government’s decision, others, largely parents and opposition politicians are accusing the new administration of reneging on its pre-election campaign promise to introduce free education in the state.

    It would be recalled that the Katsina State Ministry of Education recently released what observers and ministry officials have described as the gory and discouraging statistics of students’ performance in the mock exams where out of 46,000 students that sat for the exams, only 10% or 4,600 students passed while 90% or 41,400 students failed woefully.

    Trouble started last October when the government, through the state Ministry of Education, introduced the mock examination and announced that the state government will only pay the West African Examination Council/National Examination Council examination fees of secondary school students, who passed their schools’ mock examinations.

    “My administration has no plan or intention not to continue the payment of examination fees for students sitting for WAEC, NECO and NABTEB. Being a governor on the All Progressives Congress platform, education, agriculture, water supply and health care are our key priorities,” the governor had said back then.

    The governor, who lamented the poor performance of students in the state in external examinations, said the decision was part of the administration’s determination to ensure the state regains its position as a centre for learning, excellence and peace. He assured the people that the government would give all the support needed by students ready and willing to excel in their academics.

    Protests

    However, in a swift reaction to the policy, hundreds of secondary school students staged peaceful demonstrations on the streets of Katsina State to condemn the re-introduction of mock examinations by the new APC administration as a condition for government to pay their WAEC and NECO fees.

    The protesting students, who converged in the heart of the state capital, moved to the Government House where they were received by the Chief of Staff, Dikko Radah. Displaying placard with various anti-government inscriptions, the students demanded to be attended to by the governor.

    According to eye-witness accounts, the students who participated in the protest in Katsina town came majorly from four secondary schools, including Katsina College, Government Day Secondary School, Yandaka, Government College Katsina, and Government Pilot College.

    Speaking on behalf of others, one of the students, Kabir Hassan, said many of the students in public schools came from poor homes, and that outside government help, it would be difficult for them to pay the WAEC and NECO fees. He therefore urged Governor Masari to rescind his decision in the interest of the students.

    Responding, the Chief of Staff, Dikko Raddah, promised to deliver their protest letter to the governor. He however told the protesting students that of the 17,000 students the state government paid for last year, only a little over 300 got three to five credits or more.

    No going back

    But the governor said no amount of protest can kill the new policy given its importance to the survival of the state. Masari even vowed to sack any teacher found to be behind the recent protest by students over the reintroduction of mock examinations in schools.

    Speaking when he met with principals, vice principals and teachers recently to discuss the tension being generated by the policy, Masari said there was no going back on the policy as wastes can no longer be condoned. He urged parents in the state to support his administration’s effort to re-invigorate learning in the state.

    The visibly upset governor told the gathering of educationists that it was disheartening to see that billions of naira was spent on the payment of WAEC and NECO examinations without commensurate benefits, adding; “We must tell ourselves the truth that government cannot continue to afford sponsoring failures”.

    According to him, instead of paying for pupils to come back with bad results, government would channel such funds to fixing the deplorable condition of the sector with a view to adding value to the system. He condemned a situation where hundreds of secondary schools students across Katsina took to the streets to protest over the policy.

    According to Masari, only those who pass the examinations would be eligible to benefit from payment of WAEC/NECO fees. He said aside saving cost for the government, the policy is also capable of forcing students to pay more attention to their studies as only those who study well and pass the mock examination will benefit from government sponsorships henceforth.

    Diverse opinions

    Speaking on the development, a Funtua, Katsina State-based public analyst, Ibrahim Mohammed, said while it is expected that the beneficiaries of this scheme must cry foul, it will be economically unwise and counterproductive for government to continue to spend scarce resources on unserious students.

    “If just concluded mock examinations were the actual exams where the state government would have paid an average of N10,000 per candidate, it then means the sum of N460m would have been expended and since only 4600 students passed the exams, it means  N414m would have been wasted with only N46m expended for good cause. Imagine the quantum of funds already expended by the state government for eight years with no tangible results!

    The policy of paying the external examination fees of all students was initiated by the immediate past governor of the state, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, where the state government used to purchase West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) forms for free distribution to final year students.

    The new governor explained that the purpose of paying the examination fees is defeated because students are unserious. “You pay exam fees for a student who spends four years at home not attending school only to come and sit for the examination”. He said the state faced a bleak future in education if it continues to record dismal performance in critical examinations, predicting that the situation would soon get to a point where students from the state would no longer pass qualifying examinations to universities.

    By insisting on qualifying mock exams, the administration will be saving a lot of money that would have gone down the drain if spent on the wasteful expenditure given the poor performance of the students in past examinations,” Mohammed argued.

    But according to the President of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria chapter of National Association of Katsina State Students, Al-Amin Usman Funtua, the re-introduction of qualifying exams to SSIII students of public secondary schools in Katsina State by Masari is a good policy but at the wrong time.

    “How will you expect the students to pass the examination when there are vigorous problems in the states own secondary schools where students that are supposed to learn are denied the opportunity of learning. Katsina State Government owned secondary schools are characterized by infrastructural insufficiency, infrastructural decay, and incompetent manpower, Poor attitude by teachers, non sustainable funding and inadequate resourcing among many other challenges. These are but a few of the challenges handed over to Masari by his predecessor over which he must pause and ponder before deciding his best approach to the much needed change,” he said, adding, “the governor should instead concentrate in confronting all these challenges he inherited by providing the schools with standard and modern learning facilities, sporting facilities, upgrade the infrastructure, massive recruitment of competent manpower, and ensure sustainable funding and adequate resourcing.”

    According to him, “lack of competent teachers has remained a clog in the wheel of qualitative education service delivery in Katsina State. The government has to embark on a massive recruitment drive that will ensure only competent teachers are employed – not certificate based alone but practical evidence of what the certificate holders claim to have should be tested via a demo class interview,” he said.

    With the arguments for and against still raging and the government insisting that the policy has come to stay, observers of the politics of the northwestern state say the last may not have been heard of the furore generated by the policy.

     

  • Katsina: Masari walks tight rope over new policy

    Katsina: Masari walks tight rope over new policy

    Katsina State governor, Aminu Masari, is under intense pressure to reverse a new education policy his government has put in place to curtail financial wastes, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

    Pressure is growing on the Government of Katsina State to abandon its newly introduced mock examination for students in secondary schools and continue to purchase West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) forms for free distribution to final year students.

    Divided opinions continued to trail the decision since Governor Aminu Masari confirmed the determination of his administration to save the state’s scarce resources by enrolling only serious students for external examinations. This followed what he described as the shocking outcome of the first state-wide mock examination conducted by the Ministry of Education.

    While some educationists and analysts are in support of the government’s decision, others, largely parents and opposition politicians are accusing the new administration of reneging on its pre-election campaign promise to introduce free education in the state.

    It would be recalled that the Katsina State Ministry of Education recently released what observers and ministry officials have described as the gory and discouraging statistics of students’ performance in the mock exams where out of 46,000 students that sat for the exams, only 10% or 4,600 students passed while 90% or 41,400 students failed woefully.

    Trouble started last October when the government, through the state Ministry of Education, introduced the mock examination and announced that the state government will only pay the West African Examination Council/National Examination Council examination fees of secondary school students, who passed their schools’ mock examinations.

    “My administration has no plan or intention not to continue the payment of examination fees for students sitting for WAEC, NECO and NABTEB. Being a governor on the All Progressives Congress platform, education, agriculture, water supply and health care are our key priorities,” the governor had said back then.

    The governor, who lamented the poor performance of students in the state in external examinations, said the decision was part of the administration’s determination to ensure the state regains its position as a centre for learning, excellence and peace. He assured the people that the government would give all the support needed by students ready and willing to excel in their academics.

    Protests

    However, in a swift reaction to the policy, hundreds of secondary school students staged peaceful demonstrations on the streets of Katsina State to condemn the re-introduction of mock examinations by the new APC administration as a condition for government to pay their WAEC and NECO fees.

    The protesting students, who converged in the heart of the state capital, moved to the Government House where they were received by the Chief of Staff, Dikko Radah. Displaying placard with various anti-government inscriptions, the students demanded to be attended to by the governor.

    According to eye-witness accounts, the students who participated in the protest in Katsina town came majorly from four secondary schools, including Katsina College, Government Day Secondary School, Yandaka, Government College Katsina, and Government Pilot College.

    Speaking on behalf of others, one of the students, Kabir Hassan, said many of the students in public schools came from poor homes, and that outside government help, it would be difficult for them to pay the WAEC and NECO fees. He therefore urged Governor Masari to rescind his decision in the interest of the students.

    Responding, the Chief of Staff, Dikko Raddah, promised to deliver their protest letter to the governor. He however told the protesting students that of the 17,000 students the state government paid for last year, only a little over 300 got three to five credits or more.

    No going back

    But the governor said no amount of protest can kill the new policy given its importance to the survival of the state. Masari even vowed to sack any teacher found to be behind the recent protest by students over the reintroduction of mock examinations in schools.

    Speaking when he met with principals, vice principals and teachers recently to discuss the tension being generated by the policy, Masari said there was no going back on the policy as wastes can no longer be condoned. He urged parents in the state to support his administration’s effort to re-invigorate learning in the state.

    The visibly upset governor told the gathering of educationists that it was disheartening to see that billions of naira was spent on the payment of WAEC and NECO examinations without commensurate benefits, adding; “We must tell ourselves the truth that government cannot continue to afford sponsoring failures”.

    According to him, instead of paying for pupils to come back with bad results, government would channel such funds to fixing the deplorable condition of the sector with a view to adding value to the system. He condemned a situation where hundreds of secondary schools students across Katsina took to the streets to protest over the policy.

    According to Masari, only those who pass the examinations would be eligible to benefit from payment of WAEC/NECO fees. He said aside saving cost for the government, the policy is also capable of forcing students to pay more attention to their studies as only those who study well and pass the mock examination will benefit from government sponsorships henceforth.

    Diverse opinions

    Speaking on the development, a Funtua, Katsina State-based public analyst, Ibrahim Mohammed, said while it is expected that the beneficiaries of this scheme must cry foul, it will be economically unwise and counterproductive for government to continue to spend scarce resources on unserious students.

    “If just concluded mock examinations were the actual exams where the state government would have paid an average of N10,000 per candidate, it then means the sum of N460m would have been expended and since only 4600 students passed the exams, it means  N414m would have been wasted with only N46m expended for good cause. Imagine the quantum of funds already expended by the state government for eight years with no tangible results!

    The policy of paying the external examination fees of all students was initiated by the immediate past governor of the state, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, where the state government used to purchase West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) forms for free distribution to final year students.

    The new governor explained that the purpose of paying the examination fees is defeated because students are unserious. “You pay exam fees for a student who spends four years at home not attending school only to come and sit for the examination”. He said the state faced a bleak future in education if it continues to record dismal performance in critical examinations, predicting that the situation would soon get to a point where students from the state would no longer pass qualifying examinations to universities.

    By insisting on qualifying mock exams, the administration will be saving a lot of money that would have gone down the drain if spent on the wasteful expenditure given the poor performance of the students in past examinations,” Mohammed argued.

    But according to the President of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria chapter of National Association of Katsina State Students, Al-Amin Usman Funtua, the re-introduction of qualifying exams to SSIII students of public secondary schools in Katsina State by Masari is a good policy but at the wrong time.

    “How will you expect the students to pass the examination when there are vigorous problems in the states own secondary schools where students that are supposed to learn are denied the opportunity of learning. Katsina State Government owned secondary schools are characterized by infrastructural insufficiency, infrastructural decay, and incompetent manpower, Poor attitude by teachers, non sustainable funding and inadequate resourcing among many other challenges. These are but a few of the challenges handed over to Masari by his predecessor over which he must pause and ponder before deciding his best approach to the much needed change,” he said, adding, “the governor should instead concentrate in confronting all these challenges he inherited by providing the schools with standard and modern learning facilities, sporting facilities, upgrade the infrastructure, massive recruitment of competent manpower, and ensure sustainable funding and adequate resourcing.”

    According to him, “lack of competent teachers has remained a clog in the wheel of qualitative education service delivery in Katsina State. The government has to embark on a massive recruitment drive that will ensure only competent teachers are employed – not certificate based alone but practical evidence of what the certificate holders claim to have should be tested via a demo class interview,” he said.

    With the arguments for and against still raging and the government insisting that the policy has come to stay, observers of the politics of the northwestern state say the last may not have been heard of the furore generated by the policy.

  • Katsina has highest percentage of unemployed, says Masari

    Katsina State governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has declared that his state has the highest number of youth unemployment in the country.

    Speaking when he played host to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalong, Masari said the state would however partner with the federal government in order to tackle the challenge.

    The governor who spoke through his deputy, Mannir Yakubu, said his administration accords priority to youth empowerment and development, adding that the state was repositioning its skills acquisition centre for effective skills training.

    Masari urged the minister to utilise the sporting facilities in the state’s newly built Karkanda Stadium even, as he also appealed for the completion of the abandoned Malumfashi Stadium being constructed by the federal government.

    Earlier in an address, the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalong, regretted that the Nigerian youths are frustrated owing to the deliberate policy of previous administrations which rendered them useless, while assuring that the current administration would address youth unemployment and poverty within shortest time possible.