Bauchi Assembly laments state’s poor state of education

The Bauchi State House of Assembly has lamented the state of education in the State.

The Chairman, House Committee on Education, Honourable Babayo Akuyum, made this known at the inauguration of Education Secretaries for the 20 Local Government Area Education Authorities by the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

Akuyum noted that the poor state of education was not acceptable due to the fact that the current administration was committed to repositioning the sector.

He, however, charged the new education secretaries to be hardworking by ensuring that they monitored the attitudes of teachers towards their work by ensuring that they produced lesson plans for their pupils and submitted reports on their activities on a quarterly basis.

Speaking shortly after inaugurating the secretaries, who received their appointment letters from the Board, the Executive Chairman of the Board, Dr Abubakar Sirimbai, said that their selection was based purely on merit, declaring that they should see their appointments as an opportunity to serve the State.

He urged them to not only be committed to their job but also be honest and hard working, adding that the education secretaries should show good example to both pupils and teachers in their respective areas of authorities.

“Your appointment is based on merit and you are to carry out your assignment with commitment, honesty, hard work and responsibility. You should be exemplary figures for the pupils and teachers in your respective local governments as this administration has zero tolerance for bad behaviour, laxity towards official duties and any misconduct will not go unpunished,” Sirimbai said.

He charged them to work with their subordinates in their local governments by carrying them along in the discharge of their duties with a view to achieving results.

On his part, the Permanent Secretary of the Board, Usman Kawu told the secretaries that they were saddled with the major responsibility of supervising the affairs of education in their domains and charged them to go out to the fields and not to sit in their offices.

“Your key responsibility is a supervisory role; you are to go out and see things for yourself and not to sit in your offices, depending on rumours. This will help you to give accurate reports and ensure good supervision,” he said.

Kawu said that the state governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, had approved the sum of N300,000 as their monthly running cost, saying that, “so we expect you to utilize the funds judiciously and in a transparent manner.