By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The FCT Education Secretariat Mandate Secretary, Dr. Danlami Hayyo has given Area Council Chairmen a three-week ultimatum to enroll the scores of out- of- school children now in their custody into schools in their domain.
Dr. Hayyo issued the deadline to the council chairmen during a high-level meeting held at the Education Secretariat in Abuja.
“Within three weeks, every child on these lists must be in school. This is not a request. It is a mandate”, Dr. Hayyo said.
This is part of ongoing efforts by the Secretariat to consolidate the reduction of the number of out-of-school children in the FCT.
The Mandate Secretary Dr. Hayyo, emphasized the administration’s commitment to ensuring that every child of school age in the FCT has access to quality education.
“It is the wish of the FCT Minister, Barr
Ezenwo Nyesom Wike to see that there are no out- of -school children in the FCT, which is why we are embarking on this exercise.”
Dr. Hayyo further
charged the Area Council Chairmen to take ownership of the newly renovated schools within their jurisdictions by ensuring the proper maintenance and security of government facilities.
However, he frowned at lapses by the Abaji Area Council in safeguarding public school properties, stressing that negligence in maintaining government assets undermines educational progress.
“Every council must ensure that the schools we renovate today remain functional, secure, and conducive for learning. It is your duty as council chairmen to work with community leaders, school heads, and local education authorities to ensure facilities are adequately maintained,” he stated.
The Secretary also announced his plan to personally visit all 73 newly renovated schools across the FCT to assess the condition of facilities and ensure that infrastructure is properly maintained.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) Dr. Alhassan Sule commended the Secretariat for profiling and preparing out-of-school children for reintegration.
He highlighted the success of the community outreach and subsequently presented the comprehensive lists of out-of-school children for each Area Council to the Mandate Secretary, who has officially handed them over to the respective Council Chairmen with a clear directive.
The LEA Secretary, Gwagwalada, Mamman Musa, who spoke on behalf of the Area Council Chairmen, pledged their support to the ongoing education reform and assured full compliance with the directive.
He also pledged their commitment to sustaining the gains of the Secretariat’s initiatives.
