By Comrade Abubakar El-Biddeen.
Education is and will always be a strong foundation in ones life.
This is especially true in terms of looking at our future generation ; we want our children to be educated and above to provide knowledge to the next generation.
Thus, education is the strong building block in building a stronger and healthier community.
It is, therefore, one of the fundamental functions of each and every government to provide protection, security, and most importantly, the good values.
Consequently, the emergence of boko haram in the northeast and borno state in particular, which is the epicentre of boko haram attacks, seriously affected the universal basic education of our mild and younger ones.
Borno state has witnessed brutal confrontation and massive assault from the terrorists group, which undoubtedly the most blood-thirsty and destructive both in terms of brutality mindless of savagery and flagrant disobedience to the principles of peace and stability.
However, the effect of insurgence activities such as abduction of pupils and attacks on teachers in basic schools of Borno State obnoxiously downsized the level of development in basic education across the state.
The pupils were afraid of being kidnapped which prompted them to stay away from the school in the mostly affected areas in the state and therefore, teaching and learning cannot be conducted in an unsafe school environment as most of our educational officers are out of their community for safety and majority of the basic school teachers are internally displaced and lack of qualified teachers is what exactly affected the basic education in the state.
But with the returns of Peace and the subsequent appointment of Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe as the Honourable Comissioner for Education in the State.
Borno State recorded huge successes, especially in the education sector.
Here, we will look at the achievements of Engr. Wakilbe as Education Comissioner under the leadership of His Excellency Governor Babagana Umara Zulum.
Under Governor Babagana Umara Zulum led administration from 31st August 2021 the very day Engr. Wakilbe took over the affairs of Borno’s Ministry of Education to May 25th 2023 Engr. Wakilbe achieved the followings:
He Organized two (2) Principals Annual Conferences to address all emerging issues in the education sector in our state and award ceremony to most outstanding staff in the education sector.
He Harmonized the School Calendar in the State
He Reviewed the existing State Education Law to give the Ministry of Education the powers and relevance it deserves; thereby creating an enabling environment where all Education Stakeholders work in synergy and harmony.
He Carried out the competency test for all Local Education Authority (LEA) teachers and implemented the thirty thousand naira minimum wage to five thousand, eight hundred and thirty-four (5,834) teachers who have qualified.
He closed down all learning centers, relocated and re-established eleven (11) rural schools, which includes:
1. Government Day Secondary School Magumeri (Magumeri LGA).
2. Government Day Secondary School Bama (Bama LGA).
3. Government Girls Secondary School Bama (Bama).
4. Government Day Secondary School Gwoza (Gwoza LGA).
5. Brigadier Maimalari Government Day Secondary School (MMC).
6. Government Day Secondary School Auno (Konduga LGA).
7. Government Day Secondary School Ngamdu (Kaga).
8. Government Secondary School Gubio (Gubio LGA)
9. Government Day Secondary School Gajiram (Nganzai LGA).
10. Government Day Secondary School Mussa (Askira Uba LGA).
11. Government Day Secondary School Alagarno (Askira Uba LGA).
12. Facilitated the establishment and commencement of twelve (12) new Secondary Schools namely:-
13. Government Jnr. Secondary School Mandarari (Konduga LGA).
14. Government Day Secondary School Zabbarmari (Jere LGA).
15. Government Day Secondary School Bulabulin– Ngarannam (MMC).
16. Government Day Secondary School Benisheikh (Kaga LGA).
17. Government Day Secondary School Gumsuri (Damboa).
18. Government Day Secondary School Banki (Bama LGA).
19. Government Junior Day Secondary School Askira (A/Uba LGA).
20. Higher Islamic College Monguno (Monguno LGA).
21. Higher Islamic College Biu (Biu LGA).
22. Government Day Secondary School Buratai (Biu LGA).
23. Government Day Secondary School Yirmithalang (Kwaya Kusar).
24. Government Technical School wuyo (Bayo)
As a Commissioner for Education, Engr. Waikilbe also established the Second Chance Girls/Women Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship School, graduated and empowered the first set of 150 gradaunds.
He Re-established WAEC and NECO Examinations Centres in (Auno, Benisheikh, Ngamdu, Gajiram, Monguno, Dikwa, Mafa, Konduga, Bama, Damboa, Gubio and Damasak) after relocation.
He Commenced the implementation of a World Bank supported Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project in the state to address the infrastructural deficits in public schools, empowerment of the vulnerable Girls as well as training in Digital and Life Skills.
He Coordinated an intensive/aggressive Quality Assurance and Schools supervision programme by harnessing and pooling together the resources of the Ministry of Education, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Teaching Service Board (TSB) and Borno State Arabic and Sangaya Education Board (BOSASEB)
He Restored school accessibility by providing bicycles and vehicles to public schools across the state.
He Worked out modalities to improve, sustain, and expand the school feeding program
He Facilitated the distribution of school furniture, uniforms, and books to public schools
He upgraded facilities in the Ministry of Education Headquarters and provided six (6) additional vehicles to facilitate the Ministry’s activities.
He Put in place measures to curb the proliferation of private schools by reviewing the existing guidelines, introduction of accreditation, and re-accreditation exercises.
The likes of Hon. Wakilbe are God given gift to Borno and the society as a whole, and with the aforementioned achievements, it is a clear indication that Engr. Wakilbe is coming back even stronger than before in the second term of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum administration as Governor of Borno.
