Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State government has appointed fourteen professors and senior lecturers from various universities across Nigeria as chairmen of the 21 Local Government Education Authority (LGEAs) in the state.
The university dons, Daily Sun gathers, are expected to support the implementation of Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme designed to re-enrol out-of-school children in all the 21 local government areas of the state.
While inaugurating the chairmen, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu told them that his administration has given them the mandate to get “the education foundation right. You must bring your experience to correct the decay in the sector and don’t apportion blames. Only courageous leaders could approach this challenge with a new approach.
“You have our mandate, myself and Deputy Governor to listen to all, interrogate our actions to do the right things for the betterment of our state and local government areas,” he said.
Governor Bagudu explained that they were brought on board because the education sector requires the best specialists to move the sector forward.
According to him, “you have the capability to draw the attention of all of us to correct the wrongs and identify those who are doing the right things for commendation.”
The governor, who charged them to work diligently for the progress of the education sector in the state, said: “He who open schools, closes the doors of prisons.”
Bagudu said that the internationally recommended budget per pupil in primary schools was 70 dollars, stressing that since Nigeria could not meet up with the amount, Kebbi State usually spends more than 30 per cent of its revenue on education annually.
The Chairman of ALGON, Kebbi State, Barrister Shehu Mashar, while declaring the support of all the 21 LGAs Chairmen for the Education Authority Chairmen, stated that the Local Government Law of 2005 empowered them to take responsibility of elementary education.
He added that all the Chairmen of the 21 LGAs in the state are fully ready to support them to reposition the education sector in the state.
The ceremony was also attended by Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammadu Illiasu Bashar, Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Muhammed Mera, and other stakeholders in the education sector.