Borno LGA enrols 119 out-of-school children, rewards best teacher with N.5m
Kwaya Kusar Local Government of Borno has enrolled 119 out-of-school children in the area while rewarding the best teacher with N500, 000.
Hon. Dahiru Hamma, the chairman of the council while speaking during the event in Kwaya Kusar town on Monday said the initiative was to complement Gov. Babagana Zulum’s efforts at improving the education sector.
Hamma said that his desire was to ensure that all children in his council who are out-of-school were returned to school to benefit from the government’s investment in the education sector.
According to him, it will be unfair that with the kind of resources that the state government was investing in the education sector, some children are not in school to get the needed education to realise their dreams in life.
“What we are doing today is to take advantage of Gov Zulum’s investment in education to ensure that no child in our council is left behind.
“We are particular about what our children could become if well educated, that’s why we have taken 119 vulnerable children out of the street and enrolled them into school.
“All they need from books, bags, shoes, uniforms, writing materials, socks have been provided for them.
“So, we are working to see that all vulnerable children are taken out of the streets and enrolled into school,” he said.
On the reward to Saidu Mohammed, the best teacher in the council, the Chairman said that the gesture was to encourage him and his colleagues and to send the message that “hard work and commitment to duty pays.”
“Having considered his commitment to work and punctuality amongst others, we have selected him out of many others to be given N500, 000 as his reward.”
Hamma said while the school rewards excellence, it would not however, condone late coming and truancy amongst teachers.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in Borno, Mr Garba Zali commended Hamma for taking “this bold move to encourage our members and make teachers in the council happy.”
Zali also commended Zulum for giving cars to motivate teachers in the state while urging his members across the state to continue to put in their best.
The Emir of Biu, Alhaji Mustapha Umar-Mustapha II, represented by Alhaji Betara Aliyu, the Betara of Biu, commended the council’s efforts towards reducing out-of-school children.
“Any leader that prioritises education is a leader that understands the purpose of leadership; this is why I am commending the chairman,” Umar-Mustapha II said.
On his part, Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he had been teaching for 25 years and had never received any award.
He said he would use the money to purchase a plot of land for building and use the remaining money to support his family.
