From Umar Dankano, Yola.
Four hundred thousand (400,000)school dropped out pupils from ten local Government Areas to benefit the United Nations Children’s Fund.UNICEF Enrollment Drive/Back to school programme in Adamawa state.
An Education Consultant of the UNICEF,Mr.Josiah Isaiah disclosed the development in Yola Weekend at the flagging off campaign of the programme stressing that the project was in collaboration with the state Government and Adamawa state House of Assembly.
Mr.Isaiah said out of school children are expected to be enrolled during the campaign in the seven local governments worse hit by Boko Haram insurgency while the other three are those councils in the metropolitan that are serving as host to the displaced persons from the affected seven.
According to him, benefitting local governments for the enrollment programme are: Yola North Yola South, Mubi North, Mubi South, Hong, Gombi, Girei, Fufore, Michika and Maiha.
Isaiah said the collaboration with lawmakers was to ensure that the campaign reached the grassroots they are representing in the state.
While commending the state government for collaborating with UNICEF in the implementation of the enrollment and other UNICEF programmes in the state, Isaiah urged the state government to pay its counterpart fund for 2017.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Speaker of Adamawa Assembly, Alhaji Kabiru Mijinyawa, said education being the best legacy, the assembly would continue to accord education priority.
Mijinyawa said the assembly had already approved the state counter fund for UNICEF intervention and wonder why the approval was yet to be effected by the executive.
In his remarks, the House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Education, Alhaji Abdullahi Yapak assured government agencies in charge of education of the house commitment to address their challenges to effectively deliver in their responsibilities.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman, Adamawa State Universal Education Board, Alhaji Mohammed Hassan and the state wing chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr Rodney Nathan lauded the UNICEF support to education in the state which they described as timely.
They urged for more government intervention particularly in prompt payment of counterpart fund, teachers salary and welfare.
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