Former chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega has been appointed to head an advisory committee of six professors who will lead the way to revive the Education sector in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
Jega, who hails from Kebbi State, will work with six other professors from the zone and will advise governors of the three states on how to fix the myriads of problems facing the sector, especially at the tertiary education level.
The five other members of the committee include former vice chancellors of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu and Prof. Tijjani Bande. The rest are Professors Zayyanu Umar, Lawal Bilbis and Umar Chafe.
Presenting a report of the committee Saturday night in Sokoto to Governors Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara and Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, Jega said the time has come for all stakeholders in the three states to close ranks and collectively face the challenges together.
Receiving the report on behalf of his colleagues, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara said even though Sokoto has already declared a state of emergency in Education, both Zamfara and Kebbi will follow suit.
He said there was need to reposition institutions of higher learning in the three states that make up the old Sokoto State to enable them operate according to their core mandates.
Jega among other recommendations, stressed the need for improved funding of the institutions, reinvigorate training and promotion of exchange programmes among institutions in the states.
The committee also advised the states to establish a joint education tax fund in the mould of the Federal Government-funded TETFUND and revive the former remedial school to be established in one of the states to prepare students for higher studies.
He said that the three governors would liaise with their various state houses of Assembly and commissioners of Justice to review the laws that established the institutions.
“We will pass the recommendations to the attorney-generals to look into them, with a view to review these laws. We will also strive to formulate all the requisite policies to make these higher educational institutions function effectively.
“We will also allocate nothing less than 35 per cent of our annual budgets to the education sector,” he added.
-Leadership