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PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, NOVEMBER 7, 2016
Education Kaduna: Foundation empowers 171 youth on computer skills From Mohammad Kaduna
Ibrahim,
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n an effort to provide job opportunities to hundred of youth in Kaduna state, a foundation named Shehu ABG Computer Institute has trained 171 youth across the metropolis on Information Communications Technology, ICT, in the state. The youth were trained on various aspects of computer skills in order to bring out the entrepreneurial potentials hidden in them. Addressing the graduants in Kaduna, the System Analyst, Mohammed D. Bello said the youth have been thought Html and a little of micromedia, adding that they now have the ability and knowhow of creating their own jumia, Carmudi, Jiji websites etc. “All these are websites created by young individuals that only serve as platform for buyers and sellers to meet and trade over distance and irrespective of time. The owners of these sites have created job for hundreds of their fellow youths who are daily making a living out of the computer skills of just some few individuals,” he said. In his remarks, the founder of the institute, former House of Representative Member, Shehu Usman ABG said his quest for youth development made him to established the centre so as to make the youth future Mark Zuckerberg founder of Facebook in Nigeria. He urged the youth to make use of the training acquired in the institute to be self employed since government cannot provide jobs to everybody in the country.
Sound education, good moral upbringing key to success -El Rufai From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
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aduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has called on parents to give their children sound education and good moral upbringing to enable them attain their desire successes in life. He stated this in his address at the book launch of his late foster father, Malam Yahaya Hamza’s biography held in Kaduna,. According to him it is important that children learnt to work hard and serve with integrity and purpose. learn the principles of true meaning of love, as they grow up because these are keys that will open door of success for them. The Governor who revealed that as a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, he met with stiff opposition from corrupt influences against the change of status-quo and modus operandi of the public
service institutions in Abuja, but the sound education and the good moral upbringing he got from his extended family, enable him to cross any obstacle thrown at him. According to him: “From Baba, we learnt to work hard and serve with integrity and purpose. He taught us the true meaning of love, till this day I consider all of his biological children my own dear siblings. “With these virtues instilled in me throughout my childhood, I grew to become a focused young man. I carried on what I had learnt, to my years of serving the nation as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory”. “When I became the Minister, I was determined to change the status-quo and modus operandi of our public service institutions. Of course, my vision for revolutionizing the way public service was run, was met with stiff opposition from corrupt influences”.He said.
Late Yahaya Hamza, a renowned educationalist and former permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education died August 2015 barely two months after the inauguration of his son, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as governor of Kaduna State. El-Rufai said: “I was eight years old when I lost my biological father. Losing my father at such a tender age could have steered the course of my life in the wrong direction, but this was not so in my case. I come from a close-knit extended family so, I wasn’t allowed to feel the void of losing a protector and provider as I was immediately placed in the loving home of my uncle Alhaji Hamza Gidado; Mallam Yahaya Hamza’s own father. “After living with Mallam Yahaya’s father for a few years, I eventually moved in with Mallam Yahaya as I developed a strong bond with his son. “According to biology, we are
cousins because our fathers were brothers. However, those of you that witnessed the close relationship between me and the Late Yahaya Hamza, will testify that it was more of a father and son relationship. “As a young boy trying to find my way in a complex society, Mallam Yahaya Hamza with love and discipline was able to guide me on the right path. He took what I consider one of the best decisions in my life; sending my young head strong self to Barewa College. “I say to you today, that I will not be who I am without the solid foundation I received at Barewa College. Till this very hour, I remain eternally grateful to my father Mallam Yahaya Hamza. Baba, made sure we lacked nothing and at the same time reminded us to be thankful of how blessed we were. He was my protector, friend, counselor and most importantly my teacher,” he said.
• Members of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in a group photograph during the Union’s meeting with retired Secretaries of NUT, recently in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo
FG tasks states to access dormant N41bn UBEC funds By Paul Efiong
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pparently disturbed by the deplorable conditions under which some Nigerian children attend classes under the trees for lack of classrooms, the Minister of State for Education Prof. Anthony Gozie Anwukah has tasked State Governments across the country to, as a matter of urgency access the over forty one billion (N41b) made available to them by the Federal Government through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to improve on education infrastructure at that level. In a press statement in his
office in Abuja after a marathon consultative meeting with 21 Chief Executives of Agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister said the refusal, and or inability of States to access their share of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund is strangulating the development of basic education nationwide. The erudite scholar said the absolute necessity for States to access this fund cannot be over emphasized, maintaining that doing otherwise is not only depriving the country’s children, the conducive learning environment they desire, but is also depriving Nigerians
of thousands of employment opportunities that could be generated if N41 billion is injected into the economy through such productive activities. Prof. Anwukah noted that it is economically wasteful to allow such quantum of money to lay dormant, especially at a time the country is in dire need of improving its gross domestic product (GDP) and strengthening its currency. While acknowledging that only Borno State is up to date in accessing its share of UBEC funds-out of the 36 State of the Federation, the Minister revealed that Abia State is leading the pack of defaulting States with its
share lying dormant for the past 4 years. Some of the reasons given by the Minister for the current rate of default by States are; the inability of beneficiary states to account for previous allocations, inability to pay 50% of their counterpart funding and in some cases, outright lack of commitment to the course of basic education. Ruling out the possibility of altering the ratio of contribution between the Federal and State Governments (50:50), the Minister said he will continue to exert the necessary pressure on States to access their fund as and when due in the interest of the
Nigerian child. The Minister noted that some of the primary schools where some children attend classes under tree shelter are sometimes used as voting centres, where politicians garner their votes, only to turn their backs on these children, forgetting that the same children will make up tomorrows voters. Acknowledging the current economic realities in the country, Prof. Anwukah noted that accessement of UBEC funds by States is a matter of political will. The Minister called on State Governors to make Universal Basic Education (UBE) a matter of top priority.