From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has reechoed his advice to parents and guardian to enroll their wards in schools to obtained western and religious education.
The governor made the pronouncement at the graduation ceremony of 24 student who completed memorization of the holy Qur’an comprising six girls and eighteen boys of the late Fatima Mai Talle-Tara Koko Qur’anic school, Koko town, in Koko-Besse Local government area of Kebbi State.
Bagudu ,who instructed the Chairman of Koko/Besse Local Government, Alhaji Yahaya Bello Koko, to contact the coordinator of the Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme being implemented by the Federal Government in conjunction with the World Bank to include school in its structure for them to benefit from the scheme, said his administration would continue providing the necessary resources for the development of education in the state.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his unwavering commitment to the provision of critical infrastructure in Kebbi state, particularly the recently approved Federal University of Agricultural Zuru, Agricultural Mechanize Institution to be sited in Kebbi state.
Other projects approved by Federal Government, according to him, including Koko – Dabai – Zuru road, Artisanal gold mine in Yauri, a petroleum exploration with headquarters at Koko town, rice, cassava and wheat production and processing all in the state.
He also expressed gratitude to the Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) for loan facilities disbursement to traders in the state worth 3.2 billion which greatly helped in uplifting the economy of the state.
The Governor announced that as a purposeful government, his administration is fragment and open to objective criticism and suggestions for the progress of the state, while responding to an Islamic jurist, Malam Isah Koko, who confessed of making criticism without accurate verification of the matter he criticized.
At the ceremony thirty million naira was realized in cash in addition to pledges with highest donation of ten-point-four million from the Governor, Associates and friends. Six females who complete the recitation of the glorious Qur’an were given five hundred thousand naira, while males got three hundred thousand naira each.
The Governor also pledged to provide teaching and learning materials to the school in honour of the proprietor, the late Fatima Mai-Talle Tara, a famous food seller, in Koko who donated one million naira to the campaign funds of President Muhammadu during the 2015 electioneering campaign.
The Personal Assistant to the Governor, Faruk Musa Enabo and his Associates, Alhaji Ibrahim Bagudu, and the APC Chairman Kebbi State gave ten million naira cash, two vehicles and seven classrooms to the school.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami (SAN) donated three million naira cash, and the Acting Managing Director of Nigeria Port Authority Muhammad Bello Koko gave two million naira, while the Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Finance, Abubakar Umar Dutsinmari donated two hundred and fifty thousand naira.
The State Assembly Member Representing Koko/Besse Constituency, Abubakar Imam Besse, Alhaji Shehu Muhammad Koko also donated to the fund.
The guest speaker, Sheikh Abubakar Abdullahi Giro Argungu Chairman National Working Committee of the Izala sect, Sheikh Umar Jega, Sheikh Isah Dan Madina Koko, representative of District Head of Koko, Dangaladima Alhaji Musa Salihu and Alhaji Yahaya Bello Koko, Chairman of Koko/Besse Local Government thanked and commended the Governor for his concern for religious groups and placing premium on religions matters.