By Kamaludeen Ibrahim BB Faruk
Sir, your administration policies have a positive impact to the people of Kano State in terms of infrastructural facilities, social amenities, prompt payment of employees’ salaries as at when due (25th day of every month).
The payment of salaries was done without unnecessary deduction as experienced in the previous administration.
The previous administration, as we can attest , failed to oblige the payment of retirees’ pension and gratuity as at when due.
Your declaration on State of Emergency in education is a stepping stone toward development and growth of the sector in the state and it is well commended by the people of the state.
Education, being the backbone for nation’s development and growth, your declaration needs to be rooted to the hinter land (rural areas) as well as provision of necessary facilities that will enhance the success of the declaration.
It was alleged that the previous administration had siphoned public funds in the name of provision of infrastructures, instructional materials and providing of an enabling learning environment for pupils and teachers, among others, in the education sector with the claim of enhancing standard and qualitative education, but all in vain till the end of their administration.
The main objective of your declaration of State of Emergency on education is to provide sound and qualitative education to the pupils/students in both rural and urban primary and secondary schools as well as post secondary schools in the state, through the provision of basic learning facilities and enabling learning environment as stated in part V article 11 of the law.
Being a trainer of the trainers (class room teacher), who has visited various primary and post-primary schools in both urban and rural areas in the state for teaching practice supervision to student(s) teachers, the conditions seen in some schools visited are not properly conducive for learning, and as such need adequate attention.
Such schools lacked basic infrastructures, instructional facilities and manpower development (training) – to both academic and non-academic staff.
In fact, both learners and teachers/trainers are in poor learning environments, which were inherited from the previous administration.
The situation calls for a serious concern and attention from the current administration to make the environments lively and conducive for learning with necessary basic facilities.
Kano State Education Development Support (KEDS) law was established for the purpose of maintaining the standard and quality of education in the state – for both urban and rural areas in state.
Also, the state-owned educational sector was gazetted on December 31, 2020 (via Kano State Law No. 7 of 2020), but has not been given a free hand to execute its role or mandate given to the board as at then.
KEDS was established with the aim of performing the role or function of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in the state-owned educational sector (primary, secondary, tertiary and universities) for the provision of infrastructural facilities, instructional materials, staff development and training, research and publication, integration of Almajirai into contemporary educational system, among others, as stated in part V of the law article 11.
Sir, sources of fund for KEDS as stated in the law part II article 4 will be obtained/generateed from the state monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) at the rate of five per cent and two per cent from statutory allocation of each local government councils of the state.
It can also generate its fund from Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) by business organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations funding educational sector in the state.
It can also generate fund from individuals and corporate bodies who are willing to donate/contribute to the development of education in the state and many other sources within and outside the state.
Fund disbursement or sharing formula was stated in part VI article 12 of the law and financial provisions.
With regard to fund generation, it was duly stated in part VIII article 16 of the law. Indeed, your administration policies have a good intention and open mind for continuity/sustainability of all policies made as observed.
With regard to education policies, I may appeal to His Excellency to consider the revival or re-formation of KEDS, which has been in existence, but neglected or tied-off by the previously in executing the mandate assigned to the board.
If the board is properly articulated and given a free hand to execute its mandate, the objective for declaration if State of Emergency in education will be achieve and KEDS will be sustained just as TETFUND in the federation.
Conclusively, with the forth coming 2027 general elections, reviving KEDS board and allowing it to perform its full autonomy as gazetted in K.S. Law 7 of 2020 to execute and monitor projects within the educational sectors in both rural and urban areas as stated in part IV article 10 of the law (which is one of the major disturbing factors in the mind of voters) will surely enhance your campaign programme for winning the election with much ease and smoothness “Insha-Allah” and maintaining a positive legacy of “Abba Gida-Gida” to “Abba Ruhin Gida-Gida” in the heart of the future generation.
Subsequently, full implementation of the board activities/functions as provided by the law may lead other states to emulate/copy from you as what happened to the establishment of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), first established in the state in the 1980s, which led to the establishment of the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) in the whole federation at present.
Therefore, KEDS will be a credit and legacy to your administration at long-run if reformed/revived.
Best Regard,
Kamaluddeen Ibrahim B.B. Faruk, CFA, cilrm, Chief Lecturer, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso, 07060797016, 08023110746 and kamalbb201@gmail.com.
