BY AUGUSTINE AVWODE
Governor Yahaya Bello has written a new script for education in Kogi State. But not many people outside the North Central State, which prides itself as the Confluence State, have heard about it. Fact is: a silent revolution is going on in the education sector of the state.
The lid was blown open on July 9, 2021. It was Day One of a recent two-day First Annual GYB Seminar for Nigeria’s Political/Crime Editors and Correspondents. The Benue Hall of the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, venue of the seminar, was packed full with invited guests, admirers and supporters of Governor Yahaya Bello, and of course the participants from various electronic and print media across the country.
On the programme of events for the afternoon session was a paper presentation by the Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Science & Technology, Hon Wemi Jones Ojo, titled, “Prioritising Education as a prerequisite for a peaceful society: The Kogi example.”
It turned out to be a revelation.
The hitherto unreported exploits by Governor Bello in the education sector were unfolded and properly explained.
At the end of the presentation, the hall erupted in standing ovation for Governor Bello for birthing a new education policy for Kogi State with clear objectives that are driven by vision, accentuated by action and sustained by passion.
The presentation began with a befitting reminder of time-tested thoughts of prominent global citizens on education. From Nelson Mandela, to Kofi Annan, to President Muhammadu Buhari and Malala Yousafzai, capped by those of Governor Bello.
For the Governor of Kogi State, education is “the foundation of development, (because) it provides solutions for the society”.
One can therefore say that education, for Governor Bello, should never be just for its sake, but rather to be able to drive development and also deliver enlightenment that are jointly capable of fostering peaceful co-existence, especially in a pluralistic society like ours that is brimming with diversities of all forms.
EDUCATION FOR PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE
The presentation revealed that before the coming of the administration of Bello, the state’s education sector was blighted by sundry problems such as “cultism, unionism, ethnicity, intolerance, strive, incessant strikes and general laxity.”
These were formidable threats to peace and peaceful co-existence in the state. In fact, news reports from Kogi State in the past used to be mainly on violence, cult related clashes, killings, kidnapping, robberies and general unrest until the Bello administration happened.
“Gradually and steadily, the state education sector is able to pull out of the doldrums with the good leadership of the Executive Governor, who ensured the insurmountable problems he met in the sector were tackled and peace and tranquility now reign in the education sector across the state,” the Commissioner stated.
“The role of Kogi State education sector is not limited to academics, social and economic values alone; we also inculcate in the learners the need for harmonious co-existence, humility, tolerance, equality, equity, and justice. We are building individuals that will strengthen the society, eradicate the negativities in and around them, and act as positive agents of change,” he added.
Little wonder, with that form of ‘total education,’ Nigerians no longer read or hear those heart breaking stories from Kogi, a state which shares boundaries with more states in the country than any. And this is even heartwarming, considering the fact that it was at a time when insecurity and violent crimes of sundry nature held the country by the jugular.
VISION, ACTION, PASSION
If there was one thing the presentation revealed, it was the fact that Governor Bello had a clear vision of what he wanted for the education sector in the state. Second, he matched the vision with commensurate action, not mere platitudes before stakeholders. Third, he sustained the vision and action with undying passion. He developed a 10-year State Education Sector Plan (2021-2030) and a three year State Education Strategic Operational Plan (2021-2023).
“The policy thrust of the government on education is to continue to improve education at all levels to citizens; to produce articulate and skilled manpower and infrastructure necessary for the economic transformation of the state. The policy of education has thus identified the need for strategic partnership with relevant stakeholders in the education sector to deliver strategic results, which include: increased literacy rate, ultimate reduction rate of out of school children, increased quality of early child education, improved quality of basic, secondary and tertiary education, reduced girl-child school dropout rate, increased quality of Science, Technical and Vocational Education, increased quality of Science, Technological, Engineering, and Mathematics enrolment among learners, increased ICT skills and knowledge among others,” the Commissioner asserted.
Governor Bello demonstrated that he was not merely paying lip service to his new education script by establishing the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, in 2020. This was to ensure that every Kogi State citizen had educational opportunity. Interestingly, that was at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown.
At CUSTECH, academic activities have since commenced with over 260 pioneer students in various academic courses like: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Cyber Security, Statistics, Software Engineering, Micro Biology and Information Technology.
“The institution aims at producing graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics that will meet the technological needs of the state with her huge mineral deposits,” it was revealed.
“If there was one thing the presentation revealed, it was the fact that Governor Bello had a clear vision of what he wanted for the education sector in the state. Second, he matched the vision with commensurate action”
Then, there was also the establishment of GYB Model Science Secondary Schools in the three senatorial zones. This was designed to “encourage peaceful co-existence, harmony, equality, justice and to ensure no ethnic region is left out.”
The primary reason for establishing these model science schools was “introduction of students to the sciences and to act as feeder sources to our tertiary institutions,” the Commissioner revealed.
Of course, construction work has since commenced on this laudable programme.
HISTORICAL EDUCATIONAL LAW
Yet another bold aspect of the new script initiative for education in Kogi State is the fact that, for the first time in the history of the state, since its creation in 1991, the Kogi State Education Law 2020 was signed into law. This was to ensure quality assurance in education service delivery, tackle disciplinary issues and guide the operations of the sector.
With it fully in operation now, it becomes mandatory for every child of school age to be in school. Gone are the days of loitering and hawking of wares by children of school age during school hours in Kogi State.
Also, the Law provides that “it shall be the duty of the parents of any child who has attained the compulsory school age as provided by the law under Section 9 to cause the child to receive the appropriate primary school education suitable for the age and aptitude of the child.”
It says, “It becomes unlawful to withdraw a child from primary school and it shall be the duty of the parents of every child who has completed his primary school education to cause him to enroll in a post primary institution to receive education by regular attendance in such school.
“It has become unlawful to unreasonably withdraw any student who has been registered in any post primary institution and also abolishes all forms of secret cults’ activities in all educational institutions.”
In yet another bold and practical step, Governor Bello, in February 2020, mandated all heads of tertiary institutions operating in Kogi State – federal, state-owned and private, to sign cult-free agreement to ensure the total eradication of cultism in their institutions by the end of the same month.
That well thought-out approach to eradicating the vermin called cultism, accounted for the reduced absence of many vices hitherto prevalent in the education sector in the state. The manifest results have been a safer, peaceful, conducive and congenial environment for learning and education service delivery in the state.
The state Education Law was also designed to ensure law and order in all tertiary institutions by prohibiting some negative social practices, which usually breed violence such as end of school year celebration in all institutions in the state.
It also abolished “other vices that had affected peaceful society and harmonious co-existence on campus.” And to demonstrate that the Governor was not in the mood to compromise the aforementioned, outright expulsion was prescribed as the penalty for defaulters.
There is also the important issue of the uniformity of schools’ academic calendar. With the coming into force of the State Education Law, Kogi State is most likely to be the only state in Nigeria where there is uniformity of calendar that runs, hitch-free, from Basic to Tertiary Education levels.
Generally speaking, education has come to play vital roles in building a peaceful society where young children and young people are taught social integration, inclusion, prevention of discrimination, and made to appreciate the beauty of addressing differences and conflicts without the resort to the old culture of violence. It helps young citizens to understand the principles of harmonious co-existence and respect for life and property.
It is in this regard that one cannot but laud Governor Yahaya Bello’s education policy in Kogi State.
