The Federal Government has commended Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state for his efforts in moving the state’s education sector to the first position in the North Western Zone.
The commendation was made by the Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwu Emeka Nwajuba who was in the state to launch the Better Education Service Delivery (BESDA) on Monday at the Government House, Gusau.
The Minister said, Governor Matawalle’s efforts in education sector has moved Zamfara state to the first position in the National Common Entrance Examination organised by NECO for primary School leaving certificate that will qualify them for admission into the federal colleges in Nigeria.
He also said the state which used to be the last in the federation has now clinched the 14th position.
He described the Governor’s effort as magical as it has transformed the education sector of the state which was considered most endemic with over 148,000 out of school children who were facing much threats by banditry, kidnapping and other criminalities.
The minister also observed that having created a conducive environment for education and other development indices through effective utilization of resources while ensuring relative peace in the state, over 19,000 out of school children have within a short period of time been enrolled and retained.
He said, it is as a result of Matawalle’s peaceful disposition that the Academic Staff Union of Universities insisted that he should be included on the table of negotiators in the union’s lingering faceoff with the federal government.
Responding, Governor Matawalle promised to sustain his efforts in the education sector and assured that his government would continue to partner with both the federal government and international bodies.
The Governor also promised that his administration would continue to engage the best hands and professionals in all sectors of the state in order to achieve the desired result.
He appealed to the Federal Government to give a waver to the state government in the payment of over N3.8 billion debt it inherited in respect of WAEC and NECO examination fees on which the state government would be paying N100 million monthly.
By Maiharaji Altine