Governor Bello: of Kogi State

Kogi is soon to establish a Unity secondary school in each of the three senatorial districts of the state to enhance educational development and build a more cohesive and enlightened society.

Mr Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, Director-General, Bureau of Information Services and Grassroots Sensitisation, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday at Ihima.

Abdulmalik, who spoke on the sideline of the Grand Finale of the Ihima Students Union (ISU) 2017 Spelling Bee Quiz and Debate Competition, described education as the nexus that connects all sectors of the economy.

He said the government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello had decided to raise the standard of education in the state and would not play politics with educational development.

“Education tops the five thematic areas of the administration because it is the nexus that connects all the other sectors”, the director-general said.

He noted that of late, students only pass through educational institutions without the education going through them, which has resulted in decadence and collapse of the educational system.

Abdulmalik said that the governor bought into the idea of the unity schools to further promote the unity of the people.

“Government has come up with a novel idea to establish a unity school in each of the three senatorial districts to encourage unity of the people, irrespective of their religious or ethnic backgrounds.

“The problem here is that when a child goes to primary school in front of his father’s house, does his secondary education in same area and his tertiary education probably at the state headquarters, his exposure to the outside world would be limited.

“Religious and tribal sentiments are rife in the state and country because many of the students were never exposed as their educational pursuits were all done within same locality,” he said.

The director-general said it was in view of this that the Unity Schools were considered appropriate.

He also urged parents and guardians to accord female-child education topmost attention.

“Train your female child very well, because apart from educating the nation, it is your insurance for old age,” the official said.

Abdulmalik urged Kogi indigenes to support the present administration in the development of the state.

(NAN)