Why I Declared Free Education In Taraba — Gov Kefas

Taraba Governor, Agbu Kefas, has described as unacceptable the high number of school-age children who are not in school in his state because of poverty, saying this prompted him to declare free and compulsory primary and secondary education in the state as a way to ensure that no child is left behind.

He said his administration also announced half-tuition payment for students in all tertiary institutions because of the same realisation that many students because of poor family background, drop out of school because of inability to pay tuition fees, saying unfortunately that such school dropouts turnaround to be drug addicts, miscreants, and indulging in other forms of crimes and criminality in the society.

The governor, spoke when he paid a visit to the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono, in Abuja, on Friday, solicited support for the establishment of e-library, entrepreneurship training centres in higher education institutions in the state and Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in the state.

Kefas said his administration has given education topmost priority, noting that one of the major reasons for high level of insecurity in Nigeria is lack of access to education.

He said: “I am here to solicit for establishment entrepreneurship centres in Taraba State to be able to train our youths to be self-employed.

“(I am here) to also ask for Computer Based Test centres to be able to accommodate more of our students in writing JAMB and other computer based exams in Taraba, and lastly to ask for e-library in Taraba.”

Governor Agbu, who commended TETFund for its massive intervention projects across tertiary education institutions in the country, said he is fully committed to transforming the education sector in Taraba.

“In my agenda, the priority is education, and if you look at our region educationally there is a major problem. We have huge human resources that are untapped and I have discovered that one of the huge reasons for insecurity is lack of education.

“They said in Taraba we have one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children, so if at the primary and secondary levels, we don’t harvest these children, we can’t even invest in the higher institution and you will discover too that your own job will be affected and that is why I declared free and compulsory primary and secondary school education in Taraba.

“By the grace of God when I am done with the plans I have on ground, I would like you to come and see what we are doing there.

“For the higher institutions, I have also discovered that a lot of our children that their parents cannot afford to pay their school fees, and some of them are dropping out of school. We have some students in school but they are not in school, they don’t attend classes, they are moving about taking all sorts of drugs, to reduce that I have to declare half of school fees in all our tertiary institutions.”

Responding, Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Echono commended the governor for his various efforts to uplift education in the state.

While promising to look into the requests of the governor, Echono said TETFund has continued to deliver various intervention projects in both federal and state tertiary institutions in Taraba.

(Tribune)

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG