By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Kogi state Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello on Saturday in Lokoja reinstated his administration’s commitment to usher-in qualitative education by raising budgetary allocation to educational sector to 30% in the 2022 fiscal year.
Bello disclosed this during the grand finale of the 4 weeks Pharmacist Abdukareem Asuku Youth Empowerment Foundation (PAAYEF) Quiz Competition for public Secondary Schools in Kogi state.
The Governor who stressed the importance of education as the bedrock of development, said, he will ensure that both infrastructural development, welbeing of teachers and students are enhanced for maximum productivity.
He said, as a beneficiary of public Educational system and have been blessed to the level of being a Governor of the state, he will have no cause than to raise the bar for the future generations.
He informed that the state Education law has forbidden pupils from roaming the streets when they are supposed to be in school, promising to deploy enough resources to the sector that will make private schools unattractive to students and their parents.
According to him , “No child during my tenure, will be abducted from schools or anywhere across the state . I will not tolerate politicisation of Security in the state. We have put measures in place to safeguard our pupils and their teachers and i call on stakeholders to join the crusade.”
He commended the promoter of the Foundation, Pharmacist Abdukareem Asuku, who is also his Chief of Staff and enjoined his appointees and elected members in the administration to contribute to the development of Education in the state.
He averred that, it was his desire to tap the numerous solid minerals that abound in the state using relevant manpower that in formed the establishment of Confluence University of Science and Technology Osara and massive investment into Korean Institute of Advanced Technology KOICA in Lokoja.
In his remarks, the state commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Jones, disclosed that kogi which was rated number 28 in Waec pass rate in 2018, had worked hard to change the narrative by upscaling to 14 position in the last Waec released result.
He assured the people that the state will not rest on its oars until it has won first position in all public examinations in the country, urging all stakeholders to contribute their quota to the development of Educational sector.
In a remark, the founder, Pharmacist Abdukareem Asuku said, the competition was his modest contribution to raise confidence and consciousness of students of public schools in the state.
Meanwhile, Tijani Sadig from Demonstration Secondary School Onikuko Ogaminana won first position in the written test pocketing a university scholarship from the foundation.
Musa Alhassan from Government Science Secondary School Okenya and Sam Abdullazeez of ECSS Ogaminana who came second and third positions respectively would have their school and Weac or NECO fees borne by the Foundation while Abu David of Saint Peters Idah and Seidu Adavuruku of Demonstration Secondary School bagged consolation prizes.
