I have never wanted to blow my own trumpet to praise and appreciate my humble self. Yet going by the usual criticisms that periodically appear from the "pro-government" elements on this platform whenever I make a post on the problems bedevilling education in Bauchi State.
An enlighten society is my primary target; not the structures but the quality and quantity of teachers. Not the Frame, but the Content.
On assuming office in April 1997, with a salary of N7,836:00, Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty Six Naira.... Surprised..._? Yes, that's the whole pay package then. But with absolute Financial Autonomy from the fangs of the State Government and a monthly allocation ranging between N2.4 to N3.6 Million then.
All of us, the 20 LGA Chairmen, have project priorities to choose and execute with the active involvement of the Department for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, under the DGship of Alh Abubakar Malami, the present Sarkin Kudun Bauchi. My choice was recruitment of more teachers.
Nobody was happy with my choice of project for the simple reason of no contract percentage in it. Alh Abubakar Usman, then Director Finance and Administration and later Clerk to the Bauchi State House of Assembly, where I served with him as an Honourable Member, had reason to explain to me on behalf of the Department and possibly my 19 other colleagues to make a rethink, could not convinced me too.
I wrote a letter requesting to be allowed to employe 300 teachers to teach in our primary schools. This was endorsed and forwarded to the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission such that the money could be deducted from the source and lodged into SUBEB/LEA Account. We ended up recruiting 318 to take care of the total sum deducted from my LGA Allocation.
Furthermore, I authorised for a part-time employment of another 200 capable young adults as volunteer teachers on a monthly stipend of N500:00 of that era which is equivalent to N12,363:63 of today to help in their respective villages schools. This had gone along way to uplift the quality and quantity of education in Tafawa-Balewa LGA.
I therefore submit that, my concern as a Ruralite and a grassroot person, isn't the structures but the teachers first. A village of the status and size of Juwara in Bauchi LGA has no solid, mere, 5 teachers....... What'll be the fate of Norde Village where my cousins live? The vices that goes with illiteracy are the terrible situation that we're into, currently and with a magnifier effect as we continue to relegate from facing the challenges to attain an enlighten society status.
When I was a member of the 6th Assembly in the Bauchi State House of Assembly, we had the privilege of being heard and accommodated by Governor Is a Yuguda. Some 3000 teachers were recruited into our Secondary School System. Another 2000 more into our LEAs. Six Billion Naira was sunk in books and other essentials in two tranches of Three Billion Naira each.
Unfortunately, right from the exit of Yuguda Administration to this moment, no single teacher was added, even to argument those that have retired over the past seven years.
I therefore submit that, no criticism from any quota will stop me from making comments and pronouncements on the need to stop those "White Elephant Projects" with so much of dubious gratifications in them.
I want to be judged objectively as my opinions are equally very objective. Renovation of schools by our major highways isn't what we want, as the interior schools are in shamble and ruins.
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