Before you conclude that the above caption is consequent upon the ravages of the Boko Haram sect in Borno State in particular, you might be right but not totally. The caption is predicted or provoked by several challenges in the educational sector of the state, prompting state intervention.
In his informal characteristics of ascertaining the exact position of things, a governor went to one of the government-owned girls’ secondary schools in the state capital to have a feel of what goes into the students’ stomachs. He was not particularly happy at what he saw and was told.
He asked the principal of the school how much she got as allocation for feeding of boarding students in the school per month. She replied that she was given the sum of N1.5 million and the students’ population stood at 2, 500.
Astonished, the governor picked his calculator and did a little arithmetic and you can be sure of the amount arrived at, for feeding, per student.
Shettima, a banker and university don, has on several occasions, made it clear that as a product of public schools – from the primary to tertiary level – he would not watch or preside over the collapse of public schools. Instead, he would do all within his powers to ensure that public schools rub shoulders with the private ones
There and then, he increased the feeding allowance of boarding students in the state from N20 million per month to N100 million for the same period.
This was the story told by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State of himself recently, when inaugurating the School Feeding Committee with regard to the situation he inherited when he assumed the leadership of the state.
He told the 19-man committee, headed by the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Inuwa Kubo, that it was extremely difficult for students to concentrate on their studies when they were poorly fed.
The governor charged members of the committee that they were not only selected on merit but given a sacred duty to perform as the issue concerned involved “our children who are the leaders of tomorrow.”
Shettima directed the members to keep their eyes wide open and ears to the ground, to have full grasp of what was happening with regard to the quality of the food dished out to the students. While instructing members to be on guard and watch out for any principal, who might try to frustrate the assignment of the committee, Shettima gave members the authority to deal decisively and make a scape goat of one or two principals who were found wanting in this wise, to serve as deterrence to others. He told them to employ more kitchen staff whenever there was the need.
The governor did not stop there, as he told the committee members to note that he might give handsets (phones) to some students in the schools affected to give him update on the state of feeding of students.
On the spot, after inaugurating the committee, the governor ordered for its immediate take-off and the release of N100 million and 500 50kg bags of rice to the body.
Shettima, a banker and university don, has on several occasions, made it clear that as a product of public schools – from primary to tertiary level – he would not watch or preside over the collapse of public schools. Instead, he would do all within his powers to ensure that public schools rub shoulders with the private ones, if not even made to overtake them.
“I know the value of education and would do all possible to make ‘this commodity’, as far as practicable, within the reach of the greater number,” the governor had said.
In the heat of the insurgency, several schools were set ablaze, students were killed and abducted by insurgents, forcing the closure of schools in several parts of Borno. Today, all the schools have re-opened. The destroyed ones have been rebuilt. In addition, security has been provided in the schools. Governor Shettima continued in the re-echoed: “If the terrorists destroyed the schools 20 times, 20 times will I rebuild.” He has kept his promise.
Apart from rebuilding the destroyed educational institutions, the government has embarked on the construction of “mega schools”, which is an improvement on the existing schools that will also cater for the orphans of the insurgency.
As for the released Chibok school girls too, the students had been sent to various educational institutions by both the Federal and Borno State governments.
The administration is paying serious attention to female education through enlightenment and various incentives and motivation. For example, on assumption of office, the Shettima administration awarded scholarship to over 100 female students to study medicine in various universities abroad.
While assuring teachers in the state, especially those in the tertiary institutions, that they could get to the highest level in salary scale and position as their counterparts in the civil service, Shettima announced recently that his administration would introduce “Volunteer Teachers Scheme”. Under this, graduates in the state civil service who are interested in teaching would be given two-day off weekly to teach in schools. To this effect, an arrangement would be made with the Nigeria Teachers Institute in Kaduna to refresh such interested graduates.
The lamentations of Governor Shettima is not only on the devastation of educational infrastructure but also, on the decadence and problems he inherited especially in this sector. For example, for eight years of his predecessor in office, not a kobo was paid in respect of counterpart funding in education. As a result, the state government lost for this period all the benefits accruable, having failed to honour its own part of the obligations. It was on assumption of office that Shettima’s administration paid all the outstanding amount, to restore the lost glory in the education sector.
*Izekor, a journalist, public affairs analyst, is a member of the Board of Advisers of The Point.
