By Stanley Onyekwere
The implementation of the sum of 30.9 billion Naira as special intervention fund recently approved by the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike for massive rehabilitation of schools in Abuja, would widen access to quality basic education for children in the nation’s capital, according to Secretary, FCT Universal Basic Education Board (FCT-UBEB), Dr. Hassan Sule.
Also, Sule, who is the acting Chairman of the Board, opined that the fund when properly utilised would assist in tackling over-population fallouts in FCT Schools as well as mitigate out of school syndrome in the territory.
The FCT-UBEB boss, who spoke during a media chat with newsmen at the weekend, in Abuja, noted that such intervention was timely, following the overstretching of existing infrastructure for basic learning in the FCT, due to steady high enrollment of pupils and students, occasioned by prevailing insecurity and economic hardships that resulted to influx of people into the city.
He added that schools within communities in Kwali, Abaji, Gwagwalada and Kuje area councils are recording high explosive enrollment on account of what FCT-UBEB has been doing, prevailing insecurity and economic hardships, thereby tremendously overstretching most of the facilities on ground.
According to him:” As the enrollment is increasing, most of our schools need simultaneous attention to ensure continued access to proper basic education for children in the FCT.
“However, we thank God that the Hon. Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, whom God sent as our messiah of education is already intervening with approval of over 30 billion Naira to address most of the challenging bedevilling most of these schools. This is not going to be easy as we are having almost a thousand schools: that is both special needs schools, ECCD Centres, primary, and junior secondary.
“And those that cannot be captured in this intervention, we are going to capture some of them in the 2023 UBEB intervention action on remediation of primary schools in Abaji, Gwagwalada, and other few nomadic schools that communities established on their own with the aid of the Area councils authorities.
“And you know that the FCT Minister is knwn to be a talk and do Minister, because when he talks, he will certainly do it. And by God’s grace, hence has announced it, he will certainly bring it to reality. This will help breach the existing gaps in the education sector, thereby drastically reducing out of school children incidence.
“But, all hands must be on the deck to ensure that there improved access to quality basic education, which is free and compulsory in FCT, as it is everyone business, and the FCT Administration is doing its best to see that all children have proper basic education.”
He continued:” We want to ensure that we reduce the incidence of out of school children by taking basic education to the door steps of people in our communities.
“In order to ensure quality and efficiency, the board rehabilitated no fewer than 400 classrooms, and new constructions and training of over 7000 staff on various subjects.
“The Board also distributed more than 150,000 assorted textbooks. We advised parents to queue up to embrace Mr. president renewed hope agenda, which education is among the priorities.
‘Within the recent years, 18 new junior secondary schools were established to create access, and bridge any gap, with no fewer than 30 new primary schools that were established.”
Recall that the Mandate Secretary, Education Secretariat, FCT Administration, Dr. Danlami Hayyo had recently disclosed the approval of the sum of 30.9 billion Naira for massive rehabilitation of schools in FCT.
According to Hayyo, out of the fund, N13.3 billion was approved for the renovation and rehabilitation of 40 schools, which would be completed in 100 days; and N13.1 billion for an accelerated whole-school rehabilitation approach, beginning with 18 schools.
