Former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Muázu has said that the education-friendly policies and programmes put in place by his administration between 1999 and 2007 were responsible for the transformation of the State’s education sector.
Speaking recently on his feats as governor, the former governor said the State’s WAEC performance in 1999 was ranked 34th but this improved geometrically to 3rd position in 2007 following the various programmes put in place by his administration.
Muázu explained that this was made possible through the employment of 3,000 teaching staff, the upgrading of existing ones through in-service trainings and prompt payment of salaries and other incentives.
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He added that his government embarked on the construction of more schools so as to avail more school-age children the opportunity to access formal education.
The former governor stated that though his government inherited 82 primary schools, 105 new ones were built by his administration aside 32 community secondary schools taken over by government. This, he said, brought about increase in enrolment at both primary and secondary school levels.
According to him, a home grown school feeding and health programme was put in place in January 2006 as a way to make school more attractive to pupils.
Muázu added that 45,836 pupils benefitted from the scheme which cost government over #200 million.
He said that primary school enrolment also increased from 458,350 in 1999 to one million by 2007.
Muázu explained that his decision to invest in the education sector of the state was borne out of the belief that education was the seed of the future.