Kogi State Government on Thursday said it is not paying lip service to the development of its education sector.
Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Wemi Jones who stated this at a sensitization meeting for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 Annual School Census (ASC) Exercise held at the Government House, Lokoja, said government meant business in revamping the sector for optimum performance.
Hon. Jones noted that the State Governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello had demonstrated the political will through explicit approvals to issues that concern education in the state.
According to him, the Annual School Census is aimed at gathering data for effective and efficient planning and not aimed at raising Internally Generated Revenue for Government as been speculated in some quarters.
He appealed to owners of private schools to provide accurate data to enable government plan better, pointing out that the exercise was not to witch hunt them.
The Commissioner stated that government would be decisive on Enumerators of the programme and others who may want to cut corners.
He emphasized the need for the exercise, saying If Kogi State truly desired a genuine educational system, the exercise presents an opportunity towards that path.
Hon. Jone added that the Ministry has come up with a model customized First School Leaving Certificate with various security features which would help check fraud and certificate racketeering.
In his remarks, the Chairman House of Assembly Committee on Education, Rai Daniya, appealed to all stakeholders in the education sector, particularly those directly involved to give their best for the improvement of the students.
Hon. Daniya charged those that will be in the field to come up with accurate data for planning as well as to help formulate good laws for the development of the education sector.
He added that the State House of Assembly would continue to partner with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to move the Sector forward.
The Executive Chairman of the State Science, Technical Education and Teaching Service Commission, Mrs. Cecilia Cook, represented by Mr Emmanuel Atodo enjoined all involved to ensure transparency, accuracy in the discharge of their assignment and avoid compromise.
The Meeting was attended by Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Ayoade, relevant stakeholders in the Education Sector, religious leaders, Civil Society Organization as well as representative of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS).
The Association promised to participate in the exercise but decried that the dividends don’t come to private schools as they are also critical stakeholder.
