I detaste praise singing Politicians in office, not only do they take such appreciation of for granted, it generally misunderstood.
While its an accepted tenet of liberal democracy to constructively & objectively criticise, so gwnuine amends can be made, for greater democratic devidens,for me its equally important to appreciate, commend good, atleast to enable a Public office holder, to know his toil and sweat are being acknowledged, moreso appreciated.
We all can not be an assemblage of critics and haters who never see, nor appreciate the good others do. My assessment and evaluation of Gov. Umar Namadi strides in Education is purely from this perspective.
To find, in this age & times, a government passionately dedicated & sincerely committed to the genuine revitalization of Public Education, populated by the children of the underprevillaged, the way Mallam Umar Namadi does, is for me hard to match.
I once had the personal previllage of heading a Comparative Research Study, arround the phenominal explosion in Private Education provisioning in Nigeria, coupled with a corresponding collape & deteriorating standards in in Public Education:
Searching for explanation for the unprecedented springing up of Private Schools, in all manner and passion, at a time corresponding with the gradual deterioration and collapse in Public Education.
At about same circle, yet another Research Study jointly sponsored by Ford Foundation and Committee of Vice Chancellors, of Nigeria Federal Univrrsities, sought explanation in admission disparity, between
Children: attending Public Schools versus those attending Private Schools.
Children from Rural Communities, versus urbane children, disparity between Males & Females in University admissions
Disparity between Physically hale & hearty children, versus Physically challenged children.
Interestingly, findings in similar studies conducted in far away Switzerland, where government’s educational policy of commitment in revilalizing Public Education, was so impactful, Swede citizenry massively withdrew their children from paid Private Schools to heavily subsidized Public Schools, in the process threatening the viability of Private Education bussinesses.
The Association of Private School Properietors had to plead for governments direct intervention,by way of subsidy provisioning, to save them from imminent collapse and extinction.
What this impliedly means is, under circumstances where right policies are complimented by sincerity and political will iin the implementation of right policies, Public Education will thrive side by side against poche private Education, moreso under prevailing excruciating Economic circumstances.
Which middle class earner will loose sleep sponsoring wards to ever cost escalating Private schools, when Public schools can offer same, if not better quality services? And this is where the Policies of Mallam Umar Namadi tower above his peers.
We may even rhetorically ask:is it out of nothing parents, not only within Jigawa State, but neighboring states of Katsina, Yobe, Bauchi & Kano are queuing up to secure their wards admissiom places in Jigawa State Schools? It is undoubtedly the consequence of the reformist Danmodi Educational Revolution.
One may even curiously ask, what is it that Danmodi does, that singles his initiatives for special acknowledgement and praise, despite his Jigawa State’s very poorrevenue base, coupled with its dismal share of statutory allocation, fron the National purse and a notoriously poor educational foundation?
To demonstrate his commitment & sincerity, to revitalizing Education in Jigawa State, whereas much more financially buoyant states were massively de-boarding their Colleges,for fear of escalating costs of upkeep,choosing the option of rather aligning themselves to pervasive moral decedance & degeneration.
Gov. Mallam Umar Namadi did exactly the opposite, emberking in massive injection of funds, in the renovation of the schools. provisioning of facilities like furniture’s, Computers, stand-by generators etc. Danmodi built more classrooms & domitories, fo takcle problems of Hostel & classroom congestion.
Decisively took-on students wellbeing like never before: at a time even families were going to bed hungry, Danmodi massively enhenced the quality & quantity of catering provisioning in boarding schools.
Of the thousands of Jigawa State college students, no one goesto bed hungry.
Under prevailing economically excruciating times, Gov. Danmodi has made it a policy no Jigawa State boarding student sleeps on the floor. Every student is provided a bed and mattress,whivh isn’t the case, even in many poche private schools in Nigeria.
Already Jigawa State government is in the process of equipping every school solar lighting & water provisioning systems 24/7,along with avalanche of boreholes and solar powered street/security lights .
Teachers are being recruited and trained massively, provided equipments, like lap tops, along an enhence and conducive working enviroment. What more can one ask for? Danmodi achievements can go on & on and on.
My only worry, is phetharp the refusal of rest critical stateholders to demonstrate same passion and enthusiasm as Gov. Danmodi. We have seen for instance other places how Elected and even appointed politicians demonstrate passion & complimenting the enthusiasm of their Governors, who are nowhere near Danmodi’s sincerity and commitments and accomplishments.
Unfortunately in Jigawa State, it’s not so visible and menifest. Am humbly compelled to plead with Mallam Umar Namadi to justify their previllage positions by giving back to their own Communities.
In the least, let them showcase their involvement and assistance in supporting Schools & Colleges, located within their respective constituencies.
Ahmad Bala Abdullahi Gaduwama, writes from Ramin-Hudu Qtrs,in Hadejia Metropolis, Hadejia LGA of Jigawa State,Nigeria.
