Follow Us on Google
PAUL OMOKUVIE, Bauchi
The newly appointed Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency, Mrs Hassana Arkilla Bogoro, has promised to boost the yearly enrolment of orphans and vulnerable children in primary schools in the state from 3000 to 5000.
Arkila, who was appointed by Governor Bala Mohammed three months ago, made this known in an interview with Daily Sun in her office, on Monday, saying that the aim of increasing the enrolment was to fulfil the thematic area of education of the agency towards orphans and vulnerable children in the state.
“When I resumed three months ago, I discovered that we were having 3000 registered pupils across all the 20 local government areas in the state. That is not enough. More are outside there that are yet to be enrolled. We want to improve the enrolment to 5000.
“The children are usually enrolled in public schools in their locality. We plan to continue to track them through our OVC links, that is Orphans and Vulnerable children officials within the local governments to increase the enrolment figures,” she said.
She disclosed plan by the agency to involve religious leaders in the local government areas of the state to boost enrolment drive for orphans and vulnerable children.
“In the past we use hamlets and village heads but now we are going to include pastors, Imam, and Ulmamas because they also know where these children exist so they can bring their names and register them in the local government areas for school enrolment.
“All this is to obtain current and accurate data of OVC per local government. We will also screen the children by targeting the most intelligent ones to be enrolled,” she said.
Arkila assured that during her tenure in office, all orphans and vulnerable children in the state would get qualitative education by providing them with enough materials for their study.
She explained: “We have taken it upon ourselves that as against the previous times that they were using one pair of stockings throughout the term, orphans and vulnerable children in Bauchi State will now have two pair of stockings.
“Secondly, as against the 20 leaves exercise books they were using, we will provide 60 leaves notebooks for them.
“Thirdly, the orphans and vulnerable children were using one pair of uniform which they will wash and use from Monday to Friday. I have said not during my time will this happen again. I am going to make sure that they have two uniforms.
“We are going to have ten 10, 000 set of uniforms so that each child will have two pairs of uniform.
They were using an inferior bag which was not pleasant to behold. I have introduced quality bags that they can feel comfortable carry along to school just like our own children.”
