GUSAU (Sundiata Post) – the Zamfara Government has paid over N3 billion outstanding Senior Secondary Schools Examination (SSCE) fees, left by the previous administration in the state.
The State Commissioner for Science and Technical Education, Alhaji Wadatau Madawaki, disclosed this to newsmen in Gusau on Tuesday.“This is one of the greatest achievements recorded by Gov. Dauda Lawal’s administration in the education sector, within one year.“
You know, education is number two among priority agenda of the present administration, considering the fact that education is the bedrock for development of every society.“That is why, immediately he assumed office, the governor declared state of emergency in the education sector”, Madawaki said.
The commissioner added: “We find a situation in the state where our children graduated from secondary schools, but without results.“This is simply because the past administration, failed to pay outstanding Senior Secondary Schools Examination fees.“
The state was owing West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Examination Council (NECO) over N3 billion.“This affected the enrolment of our children in tertiary institutions, across the country for the past three years, but this administration, within one year in office, has paid all the outstanding, to the examination bodies, amounting to over N3 billion”.
The commissioner said the students had secured their results that had been withheld for the past three years, and had enrolled into various tertiary institutions across the country.”He added that the present administration had also embarked on addressing other challenges, affecting education sector in the state.“
We are working, day and night to address various challenges in the education sector in the state”, he explained.
Specifically, he said the governor was addressing challenges such as, infrastructure decay, non availability of teaching and learning materials in schools, inadequate libraries, laboratories, as well as inadequate qualified teachers.“We have also made proper arrangement to enhance capacity building,
training and retraining for education staff.“We have since embarked on the total renovation of 325 schools across the state, and we are going to construct and renovate laboratories, across schools in the state”, he added.(NAN)