30th May, 2017
Sokoto State Government has spent about N10 billion on the provision of infrastructure in schools over the last two years, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, has said.
Tambuwal said at a media parley on Monday night in Sokoto, that the huge investment was in line with the government’s declaration of a state of emergency in the sector since December 2015.
” These huge funds were expended on the construction, renovation and expansion of schools, at all levels across the state.
”The money was also spent on the provision of school furniture, instructional materials, training and retraining and other motivation strategies for teachers, pupils and students, among others,” he said.
Tambuwal declared that the government had cleared the backlog of NECO and WAEC fees, as well as scholarship allowances for its students.
”Students studying both within and outside Nigeria are not being owed, as their tuition and upkeep allowances were being paid as at when due.
”The state government has also scaled up the level of engagement with the various development partners.
”In this direction, we will never waiver in routinely meeting all our obligations to them, all in the bid to further revamp the sector,” the governor stressed.
According to him, the attention being given to education has made the people more aware on the need to send their children to school, thereby, raising enrollment, retention and completion rates of students including girls.
He added,” The state House of Assembly had recently passed the compulsory free education law and I will assent to it in the next few days.
”Under the law, parents who refuse to enroll their children in school are liable to prosecution; and parents can seek for legal redress if they think that their children are denied educational opportunities by the state government.”