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How Yahaya Bello accomplished free education policy in Kogi state

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9 months ago

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By Samuel Igbetua, Lokoja

Kogi state, in North Central Nigeria under the immediate past governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello arguably was neither the bride nor did she profit from the goodwill of many Nigerians on account of largely unpalatable reports.

The incessant unpalatable reports of violence, killings, kidnappings and of late, corruption did not assuage the situation.

The reports of these vices arguably diminished and indeed paled to the insignificant the socio-economic and political developments in the state.

All indices points to the fact that Kogi state is crisis ridden coupled with allegations of ill payment to civil servants and pensioners.

Yahaya Bello remain the epicentre of the diagnostic. He is vilified and derided by many.

Arguably , no decent society would sweep away the alleged level of infractions or insecurity in the state if proven .

The narrative in Kogi is interesting, intriguing and conversely so.

Curiously, no one has given credit to Yahaha Bello for initiating and indeed implementing free education policy from primary school to post primary schools in the state nor was he recognized for establishing two new universities in the confluence state in addition to the State university in Ayingba where he built and equipped a Teaching Hospital.

Prior to Bello’s administration, the state of education in Kogi lacked clear direction. For instance, a comprehensive survey conducted in 2017 by the ACTIONAID/PIBCID revealed critical insights into the education sector’s performance and challenges in the state.

These findings highlighted deficiencies in performance and instructional delivery that hindered the achievement of critical goals: improving literacy rates, advancing Early Child Care Development Education (ECCDE), enhancing the quality of education from basic to tertiary levels, promoting girl-child education, and elevating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills and STEM education.

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In response to these challenges, Bello directed the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology to organised the 2018 State Education Summit, known as the ‘Education Roadmap.’

This summit gathered stakeholders to devise strategies for the state’s educational development.

Subsequently, the State Education Law of 2020 was enacted to provide guidance and regulation for the operation of the education sector.

The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, went a step further by developing the State Education Strategic Plan (SESP) 2021-2030 and the State Education Operational Plan (SESOP) 2021-2027, which align with the Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP) to address gaps in the education sector.

Under the leadership of Bello, the administration transformed the education landscape from one marked by neglect and decay to one filled with hope, improved access, equity, infrastructure development, and enhanced service delivery.

One of the administration’s groundbreaking achievements in the education sector was the allocation of 30% of the budget to education in each fiscal year since 2021. This allocation exceeded the UNESCO-recommended benchmark of 26%, underscoring Bello’s unparalleled commitment to education in the state.

To ensure effective utilization of this investment, the state government under Bello conducted training sessions for over 2,000 school managers, focusing on curriculum delivery, quality assurance, and enhanced efficiency in partnership with National Teachers Institute (NTI), National Population Commission (NPC), Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), and the Federal Ministry of Education (FME).

Additional training sessions on conducting the Annual School Census have been provided to over 1,500 individuals by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.

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To enhance the workforce in the education sector, the government under Bello recruited an additional 3,979 teachers in February 2023 from a pool of 22,342 applicants.

Before 2015, Kogi State’s education landscape was a cause for worry.The performance of Kogi students in external examinations like the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO), and
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was disheartening.

However, the Bello’s administration ushered in a transformative era. Substantial investments in educational infrastructure and the welfare of teachers and management staff have elevated the standard of Kogi students. This is a testament to the power of commitment and strategic planning.

Statistics from the Federal Ministry of Education, showed that the number of out-of-school children in Kogi State stood at 554,943 between 2014 and 2015.

Through concerted efforts, the Bello’s administration has reduced that figure to 86,803, ranking Kogi as the 9th state with the lowest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria as of 2019.

With the renewed commitment of the government under the leadership of Bello, it is expected that every school-age child will be in the classroom from 2024.

Achieving these involved investments in primary education, renovation of 833 classroom blocks, construction of 1,800 classrooms across the state, and establishment of GYB Model Science Schools in the state. It also involved training and retraining of teachers across all schools in the state.

Bello took a visionary and audacious step on September 21, 2023, by declaring free education from primary to secondary levels in all public schools in Kogi State.

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Furthermore, the government committed to paying fees for WAEC, NECO, and JAMB examinations, is a testament to the leadership understanding of the importance of investing in the future.

Bello’s magic wand was also evident in putting an end to the incessant ASUU strike in the state-owned institutions in 2017 through strategic negotiation with stakeholders. The agreement therefrom stabilized and indeed normalised activities in the institutions and ensured prompt and regular payment of staff salaries. The development encouraged Bello to establish the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara after obtaining approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC) in 2020. The specialized institution took off in 2021 with 245 students. On February 12, 2022, the Kogi State government disbursed N6billion to contractors handling projects in the university while construction of the college of medicine, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba for full medical accreditation was also getting final requirement.

Another deft move in reshaping education in Kogi State was the establishment of the Kogi State University, Kabba in 2023, making his administration the first to establish and nurture two state-owned universities under four years.

Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja; College of Education, Ankpa; and College of Education (Technical), Mopa are not left out too.

Hate or love him, the Yahaya Bello’s legacy in the Education sector in Kogi state is unmatched and cannot be wished away or taken for granted.

It is hoped that Bello’s successor Usman Ododo and his team will sustain the momentum on the growth of Education flagged off by the White Lion.

 

Samuel Igbetua wrote from Lokoja, Kogi state.

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Politics

Abure urges “Obidient” family to register with Labour Party

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10 hours ago

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March 29, 2025

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The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Julius Abure has urged members of the “Obidient “ family to register with the party and participate in the National Congress of the party holding in June.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Obiora Ifoh, made this known on Friday in a statement issued in Abuja.

Ifoh said that Abure made the call while speaking at a town hall meeting organised by the Lagos State chapter of the party.

According to him, Obidient Family members should work towards owning the party by registering with the party and be qualified for the coming congresses in June and July 2025.

“We are willing and ready to absorb all the Obidients into the Labour Party. All you need to do is to go to your ward as Obidient and register. The party has only one structure, all other ones are counterfeit.

Ahure frowned against instigation of parallel structures by some party leaders, warning that such anti party activities must surely attract grave consequences.

The national chairman also revealed that elected members of the Labour Party have not lived up to their financial obligations to the party since assumption of office nearly two years ago.

“A party cannot have two conflicting structures, a party can only have one structure and I advice, if you do not want to be left out of the scheme of things, find your way into the main structure.

“Those who are doing parallel structure, candidate structure will lose out at the end of the day.”

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The national chairman speaking on the relationship between elected members and the party, said, “it is a fact that they don’t respect the party, it is a fact that they don’t make contributions to the party.

“As I speak with you today, we have not received one kobo at the national, from those we elected to the national Assembly.

“The responsibility of running this party is still with the leadership of the party. As at today, we have six senators, about 30 Rep members and numerous House of Assembly members.

“Unfortunately none of these lawmakers have contributed a dime to the party since their election in 2023. Let them go and ask other parties, it is those elected under their platform that fund the party.

“Today, most of them want to have control over their local government and for us to hand over their constituencies to them, yet they are not ready to work or partner with the party. Is it fair?.”

Abure also promised to look into the grievances within the Lagos State party faithful.

He said, “I want to appeal to our members in Lagos State who may have one grievances or the other, arising from the imperfection witnessed in 2023 general elections to keep their grievances aside. We cannot continue to dwell in the past.

“Those who did not get the party ticket in 2023 election may have the opportunity to do so in 2027.

“Some of you who have special cases, I plead with you to come and present the matter to the leadership of the party, instead of fighting ourselves in the social media.

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“As long as I am the National Chairman, those with genuine cases will be given special attention in the 2027 general election,” he said.

The town hall meeting which witnessed defection of top political personalities in the state into the Labour Party.

In attendance were stakeholders including national and state lawmakers, Ward, Local Government and state executives, some members of the National Working Committee and governorship candidate in the 2023 governorship election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. (NAN)

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Politics

El-Rufai Not Yet Our Member – Kaduna SDP

Published

16 hours ago

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March 29, 2025

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Barely three weeks after the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the North-West zone of the party said El-Rufai is not their member.

The North West Assistant Secretary, Idris Inuwa, who asserted in a statement in Kaduna, said the ward and state chapter of SDP has no membership record of El-Rufai.

“It has come to our notice that certain individuals, including Nasir El-Rufai, are being rumoured to have joined the SDP. However, neither the chairman of Kaduna North Local Government in Kaduna State nor the leadership of Unguwar Sarki ward has any record of these memberships,” he stated.

Inuwa, therefore, urged El-Rufai and other prospective members to adhere to the proper membership process of joining the SDP.

“We advise him and any other interested individuals to follow the proper procedures if they wish to officially become members of the party.

The North-West Zonal Assistant Secretary also kicked against the dissolution of the Kaduna State working committee of the SDP by the party’s National working committee.

“While we recognize the growing interest of individuals and groups in joining the SDP, we emphasise that there are well-defined guidelines and constitutional provisions governing membership admission. Kaduna State chapter of SDP remains open and welcomes all prospective members who adhere to established procedures.”

It would be recalled that El-Rufai had on March 10, 2025, resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress and defected to the Social Democratic Party.

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In a statement to announce his resignation from the APC, El-Rufai said he raised several concerns about the ‘ capricious trajectory ‘ in the ruling party, but the leadership allegedly failed to address them.

Announcing his decision, El-Rufai said he raised several concerns about the “capricious trajectory” in the party but the leadership allegedly failed to address them.

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Politics

‘Jaji Is Nothing Without Matawalle, Yari’— Zamfara APC Slams ‘Serial Betrayer’

Published

1 day ago

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March 28, 2025

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Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State have launched a scathing attack on Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, the lawmaker representing Birnin Magaji/Kaura Namoda Federal Constituency, accusing him of disloyalty and political betrayal.

The group, speaking through its spokesperson, Abdulkadir Suleiman Zurmi, claimed that Jaji owes his political rise to former Zamfara governor and current Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, as well as Senator Abdullaziz Yari.

They alleged that despite benefiting from their support, Jaji has turned against them.

Zurmi likened Jaji’s actions to “biting the fingers that fed him”, arguing that Matawalle had helped resurrect his political career after the 2023 election.

“Nigerians, especially the people of Zamfara, should note that Jaji holds no significant influence in the state’s political landscape.

“Now that Matawalle and Yari have helped him, he is turning against them. Jaji cannot even win an election on his own if left to handle it independently.”

“There is no way a leopard can change its skin.”

The group also questioned Jaji’s claims of spending 25 billion naira (approximately $27 million) during the 2023 presidential election, challenging him to disclose the source of such a vast sum.

They suggested that his statements reflect “a clear malfunction of the brain” and argued that he lacks any legitimate business that could generate such funds.

Jaji, who was recently suspended from the APC, has also accused of working against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Furthermore, they criticized Jaji for allegedly favoring Governor Dauda Lawal of the PDP while sidelining APC leaders. The group cited 2024 political event in Birnin Magaji, where Jaji reportedly invited Lawal but failed to acknowledge key APC figures.

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The APC members urged Jaji to realign himself with the party, respect senior politicians, and cease what they described as “double-dealing.”

The statement warned that continued attacks on President Tinubu and party leaders could harm his political career.

The group accused Hon. Jaji of undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s interests, despite his associates securing key appointments in the administration.

“Despite two of his close associates, Mansur Khalifa and Dan Maigoro, directly benefiting from presidential appointments, he continues to work against the president due to his strong ties with the PDP and Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal Dare. His actions within his zone openly demonstrate his support for the PDP, revealing where his true loyalties lie”

“During the 2023 presidential election, Jaji was reportedly involved in efforts to block Tinubu’s emergence, though APC leaders like Abdulaziz Yari and Bello Matawalle ensured the party’s victory.

“Additionally, Governor Dauda Lawal suspended All Progressive Congress members in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, except two APC members jaji’s loyalist as a reward for Jaji’s role in sabotaging the party’s success in the state in favor of the PDP.

Jaji’s unsuccessful bid for Speaker of the House, allegedly against Tinubu’s wishes, has fueled speculation about his political opposition to the president.

“Despite his fallout with the presidency, his associates continue to benefit from government appointments, raising concerns that these positions are being used to undermine Tinubu.

“Jaji is forging an alliance with the opposition to strengthen Dauda’s influence in Zamfara, an act seen as a betrayal of the APC.”

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Zurmi said Matawalle has served as a commissioner, a member of the House of Representatives for 12 years, a one-term governor, and is currently the Minister of State for Defence.

Similarly, Senator Abdul Aziz Yari is a former governor of Zamfara State, a former member of the House of Representatives, and is now serving as a senator.

“Therefore, the position of a House of Representatives member should not inflate one’s ego or lead to misconduct, as it does not compare to their political stature.

You shamelessly betrayed Abdulaziz Yari, despite owing your rise and status to him. Instead of loyalty, you repaid Yari with insults, accusations, and slander. Your manipulative nature drives conflicts and stirs divisions for personal gain, pretending to protect interests while proving yourself untrustworthy. The hypocrisy is clear— you criticizes Yari yet use his name when convenient. The world has seen through you and this isn’t going to work.”

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