Mohammed Munirat Nasir, Gusau
Zamfara state governor, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle has awarded a N3.1 billion contract to indigenous contractors for construction of 423 classrooms in the state.
Matawalle while speaking at the presentation of contract award certificates to the home based contractors reiterated his administration’s total commitment to revitalize and overhaul the basic education sector in the state.
The Governor said that apart from the construction of 423 new classrooms, 148 existing classrooms will be renovated while boreholes fitted with overhead tanks will also be provided in all the schools for the teachers and the students have access to portable and hygienic water.
Matawalle said he declared a state of emergency in the education sector due to his firm belief that education remains the only viable way of achieving development and economic prosperity in the society.
“My administration will continue to give much priority to education especially the basic education and I will continue to access all the available grants by releasing the counter part funds which the previous government failed to pay and resulted in the collapse of the sector,” he said.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board,(ZSUBEB), Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu said the 423 classrooms project is under the 2019 matching grant of N3.1 billion.
“Apart from the construction of the 423 classrooms there will be the renovation of 148 existing structures, 19 boreholes with overhead water tanks, fencing of 20 schools, 57 cells VIP toilets and 3 units of VIP latrines,” he said.
Aliyu also disclosed that all the contracts awarded by his board under the 2018 intervention grants amounting to 5.5 billion naira have been completed.
“Over 900 classrooms were constructed and 375 dilapidated classrooms were renovated in the state,” he said.