By Gbenga Akingbule
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, on Tuesday, approved the sum of N1billion for the training of basic-level Teachers across the 27 Local Government Areas of the State.
Gatekeepers News reports the Governor also allocated 58 Hilux pick-up trucks, Volkswagen Golf 3 wagons to newly appointed Local Government education secretaries.
Zulum announced the approval while inaugurating the newly appointed Local Government education secretaries who will administer the affairs of primary education in their respective Councils.
The Governor noted that over 1,000 teachers who have O-Level certificates as their highest qualification will undergo additional training that would allow them to attain minimum teaching qualifications.
The training, according to Governor Zulum, would cover teachers who do not have teaching qualifications but were found to be trainable based on the record of the competency test conducted.
Zulum noted that his administration in 2019, when sworn in, embarked on rebuilding the devastated school infrastructures to provide enhanced learning outcomes which he said has resulted in reducing the number of out-of-school children to eight hundred thousand from over two million.
The Governor charged the newly appointed education secretaries to live up to expectations and warned that anyone found to be underperforming would be replaced.
“I must emphasise that with great privilege comes great responsibility. Therefore, I have directed the Honorable Commissioner for Education to furnish me with quarterly reports on the performance of each education secretary. Those failing to meet expectations will be replaced,” Zulum said.
Shortly after the inauguration of the education secretaries, each of them received one Toyota Hilux double-cabin 4-wheel-drive pickup truck and one Volkswagen Golf 3 wagons.
The Governor noted that the utility vehicles were meant to enhance mobility while warning that they should only be used for official purposes and be operated by authorised drivers.
