PROTOCOLS:
It gives me great pleasure to be among the gathering of great humanists under the umbrella of Shuwa-Arab Development Association who in collaboration with the Darussalam Science and Islamic Academy have come together to address one of the many daunting challenges of the resultant effect of the insurgencies. Indeed, we all have a responsibility to show benevolence and care for orphans and the vulnerable in our societies. I therefore wish to welcome and commend each and every one of us present here today for caring enough to make time to attend this programme and by so doing supporting the Shuwa-Arab Development Association and Darussalam Science and Islamic Academy towards making today’s programme a success.
Secondly, I wish to congratulate and strongly applaud the effort of these two organizations for providing these young children with an opportunity to be educated so that they can have a better chance in life and become better citizens who will contribute to the growth of our country. Let me also appreciate the organizers for giving me the role of chairing this occasion because by so doing they have successfully put a round peg in a round hole because of the passion I have for education especially when it has to do with educating the less privilege and vulnerable in our society. And it was for this reason when I was the Governor of Kano State from 1999 – 2003 and my second term 2011 -2015 we made education to be our first second, third priority and the focus of our development strategy. This was exactly what we have done during our stewardship in Kano as follows:
In Primary Education:
• We introduced free feeding for all primary school pupils 5 times a week; to boost school enrolment which rose from 1 million pupil in 2011 to over 3 million pupil in 2015
• We provide 2 Free sets Uniform for primary school pupils
• Overhauled primary schools & constructed about 2,000 classrooms, 1,000 offices and toilets, constructed 400 teachers' lodge in rural primary and secondary schools
• Wall fenced 150 primary schools and all the tertiary institutions in Kano to enhance security in schools
• Purchased furniture for 95,000 pupils and over 9,000 teachers
• We also established boarding primary schools.
I am happy to say that in April 2015 100 Orphaned children from this state were placed into a new Special Boarding Primary School in Kano; taking over their feeding, clothing, education and general upkeep until situation in Borno state improves. It is heart warming to know that the present administration in Kano will continue with this programme.
In Secondary Education:
• We established 8 new mega Secondary and Technical Colleges among which are Dan’hajja GSS Bagwai, Dangwani GSS Tsangaya, GASS Gaya, Governor’s College, GGSS Janbaki, and First Ladies College
• Under a partnership with the Republic of Niger we established 2 bilingual Colleges in Niamey and Zhinder in Niger Republic.
• Procured 67 new high capacity buses for girl-child education
• Established 47 Technical Schools
• Established 44 School of Islamic Studies
• Established 300 modern laboratories of Physics, Chemistry and Biology in 100 Secondary Schools
• Furnished and stocked 300 Secondary schools Libraries
• Furnished and equipped 300 Computer Rooms in our Secondary Schools
In the area of Tertiary Education:
We established 26 new Institutes for vocational training and building the capacity of our youths as follows:
1. Kano Hospitality and Tourism Institute Kano
2. Kano Poultry InstituteDanbatta
3. Quranic & Western Edu. InstituteKano
4. Kano Fisheries Institute Bagauda
5. Farm Mechanization InstituteDanbatta
6. Kano College of Nursing & MidwiferyMadobi
7. Kano Corporate Security InstituteGabasawa
8. Kano Reformatory InstituteKiru
9. Kano Film InstituteTiga
10. Kano Informatics InstituteKura
11. Kano Sport InstituteKarfi
12. Kano Sports AcademyKofar Na’isa
13. Kano Driving InstituteKumbotso
14. Kano Irrigation Training Inst.Kadawa
15. Kano Entrepreneurship Inst.Dawakin Tofa
16. School of Basic MidwiferyGezawa
17. Kano Post Basic Midwifery Sch.Gezawa
18. Kano Institute of HorticultureBagauda
19. Kano Livestock InstituteBagauda
20. Kano Journalism InstituteKano
21. Kano School of Health Tech.Bebeji
22. College of Education Tech.Minjibir
23. Basic and Remedial Studies T/Wada
24. Fish School MagagaKabo
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we are the only state that established two state universities that is University of Science & Technology Wudil in 2001 and Northwest University in 2012; these are today rated among the best in the country.
In the area of Foreign & Local Scholarship:
• Over 2,600 youths benefitted from our overseas scholarship for various studies in 14 Countries; this includes:
• 200 females to study Medicine (Gynaecology) abroad
• 100 for Pharmacy overseas
• 50 Nurses sponsored to under go training in Nursing Education in Egypt
• 20 Medical Doctors for their Masters and Phds at Texas A & M University, USA.
• 100 for Piloting & Aeronautical Engineering in Jordan
• 378 Students of Information Technology for Degree top-up course in Uganda
• 100 teachers to China to learn Chinese to teach in the newly established in Kwankwaso.
• So also we have trained teachers that will teach in the newly established French College.
• Locally we sponsored undergraduate students in private Universities across the country; 300 to Bells University Otta, Ogun State, 200 to Crescent University Abeokuta, Ogun State, 250 to Igbenidiom University in Benin City, Edo State, 25 to ABTI University Yola Adamawa state and 412 to Alkalam University in Katsina State making a total of 1,187 beneficiaries.
• To crown it all we introduced free education at all levels in Kano from primary to tertiary level.
Let me use this opportunity to once again thank and appreciate my brother the Executive Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shatima for supporting and partnering with us when we came to him with a similar proposal of taking over the upkeep of 100 orphans from this state and also use today’s occasion to commend His Excellency’s effort and unwavering personal commitment of facing the daunting challenges of governance while in a state of insurgency, because I have closely followed your administration and wish to single out and congratulate you on one out of your numerous achievements; that is the sponsorship of about 100 indigenes who are mostly female to study abroad. Indeed, this clearly means that His Excellency is not only rebuilding Borno State but also building and preparing Borno State indigenes become international citizens. I can not end this speech without acknowledging and commending the Federal Government under the able leadership of President Mohammadu Buhari, the Nigerian armed forces and other security agencies for bringing back peace and hope to the North East.
Finally, let me conclude by informing you that the National Assembly is today at the final stage of passage of the North-East Development Commission that will evolve a marshal plan to rebuild the infrastructure and economy and address the security challenges of the northeastern states. However let us not sit in the comfort of our homes thinking that Government alone can rebuild the North East, we all have a responsibility to contribute towards salvaging the future of these children, because the problem facing some of these orphans and displaced persons is much complex and grievous than it was in 2015 as a lot of these children are today malnourished. I therefore wish to conclude by making a plea like I did in Kano when we adopted the 100 orphans by calling on well-spirited individuals and groups to emulate the Shuwa-Arab Development Association (SADA) and once more congratulate you and every other person that in one way or the other has contributed to the success of todays programme.
Thank you and God Bless.
0 comments:
Post a Comment