(KATSINA)
Fresh facts have emerged from an alleged monumental fraud in the operations of Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board uncovering how the board inflated the school enrolment figures.
The lid over the figures was blown open when an order by Governor Aminu Bello Masari for an audit of primary and post-primary schools in the state revealed only 790, 000 actual pupils instead of the previous figures of 1.2 million enrollment.
An unimpressed Masari, who disclosed this when he received the governing council of Othman Dan Fodio College Katsina, led its chairman, Ahmed Bawa Faskari, on a courtesy call, and revealed that out of an alleged 98,000 pupil count in Katsina Local Government Area with 49 primary schools, only 53,000 pupils were actually on ground.
The governor said about half of the primary schools in the state have no teachers, while only 100,000 pupils out of about 800,000 in the schools have desks and chairs.
Masari, who also expressed worry over the huge investment in free education without commensurate result in the state, warned that his administration would not play to the gallery on education policy.
He assured the college of government support and advised the council to submit details of their requests for government’s intervention.
Earlier, Ahmed Bawa Fasakari solicited an improvement in local governments’ monthly contributions to the college, conversion of its casual staff to permanent staff, provision of additional classrooms, furniture and conference hall.
Fasakar commended the foresight of the present administration in its efforts to uplift the education sector among others.
(Andy Asemota, DAILY SUN)