Open Letter To Governor Badaru Abubakar -By Muhammad Sani Salisu

THE FOUNTAIN IS GETTING DRIED: The Continuous Falling Standard of Education in Jigawa state, Why We Must Not Keep Quiet.

The Jigawa State Government House,

His Excellency Mallam Badaru Abubakar,

The Executive Governor of Jigawa State,

Jigawa State.

Nigeria.

21 September, 2020

Your Excellency Sir,

It is with great delight that I am writing this letter to you as a good indigene of Jigawa state who wants a great future for the good people of Jigawa state. I hope you will not see this letter as a politically motivated letter or one written to discredit your administration. 

I usually write my letters when there is a need to address very critical issues that affect the life of the ordinary people living in Jigawa state. The best way for government to measure its success, then, it should get feedback from the people. Your Excellency Sir, for every decision you take in consultation with your team, there must be a very good reason why such decision was made. But again, in a democracy like ours, it is very much all about the people and this I know you are very much aware of. As such, I believe by virtue of your education and the vast experience that you have in political life, you know whatever affects the people it is their right to speak out.

Recently, the people of Jigawa state woke up with sad news that member representing Garki constituency Alhaji Lawan Garba moved a bill to amend Jigawa State local Government law 2012 to restrict deduction to statutory allocation of local government funds and a bill to amend Sule Lamido University Kafin Hausa law number 6 of 2013 to restrict the contribution of funds to the institution by local government councils.

To this regard, we are not bothered by this move of stopping the 2% allocation to the varsity since it is it not a noble move and the masses are not been considered but the consequences that will follow after the stoppage give us much concern.  These include 

1. The free education for the females and physically challenged persons will stop 

2. The 75% the males indigenes benefit will also stop. Instead of the #9,500 they will now pay #90,000 

3. Also the female indigenes and the physically challenged persons will now pay #90,000 for their sessional registrations. 

One should bear in mind that this gesture or benefit started since in the previous administration of Dr. Sule Lamido in 2013 but why your government will stop this at this crucial, critical and material time when what to eat is a big problem to even an average person not to talk of the poor masses not to think of this sudden and unfortunate increment?  

Your Excellency Sir, I believe education is the greatest gift one can give to a child because it is the most powerful tool to change the world. 

In Jigawa state, it is believed there are only two alternatives — it is either a child goes to school or he goes to the farm. Our people are wise and that is why they chose to go to school instead of focusing only on farming. The dividends is what we are reaping today.

Nothing delights an average Jigawa parent than to see his or her child wear the academic gown and achieve excellence within and outside the walls of the academic environment.

The sincere question we need to ask ourselves today is this: “Is the fountain not getting dried?” In my own view, the very fountain of knowledge is getting dried and our future as a people is at stake. One of the biggest tragedy that can happen to us as a people is to fall short of the great legacy left behind by the great academic giants of Jigawa state who labored so much to put Jigawa state on the world map as a result of their intellectual prowess.

We are gradually losing in the race of academic excellence. In the time past, our students participated in national and international competitions and came home with medals. But pitiably, the story is changing gradually. 

The continuous fall in standard of education in recent times is not just a threat to the academic heritage but also a threat to the future of the state. The recent performance of Jigawa state in WAEC and JAMB shows that we are gradually losing our position as fountain of knowledge. Education is becoming a luxury in the state as majority of the public secondary schools in the state now produce students who can neither read nor write proficiently and parents who can fortunately afford private schools see the private schools as a better alternative.

Jigawa state as of today is littered all around with dilapidated buildings and schools. I did not get the pictures or the information from the Internet. I do always come home and I do come across some schools so much that the first thing that comes to my mind is how our students could be learning in such a horrible environment. 

Many schools in Jigawa state today cannot boast of a standard laboratory not to talk of an ICT Centre. The world is changing and we must be ready to change too. We cannot produce 21st century students when we are still using the 19th century methods of teaching and learning. 

Why I will not blame you for the present situations of things in Jigawa state as regard the standard of education, I will encourage you to make education one of your priorities. The prosperous countries in recent times are not countries that rely on agriculture as the major source of revenue, as we can see; but they are country that are investing in ICT to transform their education sector so as to produce citizens that can solve problems by leveraging on the power of the ICT. The success story of Dubai and the UAE as a whole is what we can learn from. 

While there are a lot of problems facing the education sector, As the governor of the state, it is in your able capacity to protect the future of every child by providing quality and affordable education. While I commend your administration and past administrations for your efforts in restoring the lost glory, I will implore you to do even more if we are ever going to maintain our pride as the country’s fountain of knowledge. , By all means Your Excellency Sir, we must not allow the Fountain of Knowledge to get dried as it is fast drying in face of those evaporating factors. Jigawa State shall rise again and we will never cease from being a new world— an abode and fountain of knowledge. 

Thank you once again Your Excellency and wishing you the best days ahead in this New Week.

Long Live Sule Lamido University Kafin Hausa, 

Long Live Your Excellency Mallam Badaru Abubakar,

Long Live the People of Jigawa State,

Long Live the People of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Yours faithfully

MUHAMMAD SANI SALISU

CONCERN JIGAWA STATE INDIGENE 

08103758082,07026816886 

Saleesu1999@Gmail.com 

Saleesu1999@yahoo.com