When Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State declared the State of Emergency on education, many doubted the policy as one of the gimmicks of public office holders who most often initiate unrealistic programmes at the expense of the masses.
As was the case in the past, some Chief Executives would formulate a beautiful and well-articulated policy, constitute a management team, and, in some instances, launch the policy document and inaugurate the management team with huge allocations to give the public a false impression of government commitment to the cause. But in no time, the implementation would become a challenge, a false dream that only came to drain and a channel used to divert public funds for personal purposes.
Another aspect that eroded public trust was the lack of continuity of government policy and programmes by each Executive who came on board and wanted to be known for initiating new policies or founding a programme without holistically examining or reviewing the existing ones, their importance, investment, and impact on the masses.
Hence, most people no longer have faith in government affairs, policies, and programmes due to inconsistency in implementation, even when the programme has beneficiaries.
It is against this backdrop that Governor Agbu Kefas is laying a solid foundation. Even after he exits office, his successor will not want to ignore the education policy because of its wholesomeness, which reflects the true essence of social services to the people.
Governor Kefas, who took over the mantle of leadership on May 29th, 2023, had, in less than one month without hesitation, explained that the decay and poor state of primary and secondary schools in the state informed his administration‘s decision to declare a State of Emergency on education and fashion plans to give education the much-desired attention. „We have templates of what we want all our schools to look like.“
The pronouncement, made on June 4th, 2023, precisely 27 months ago, is a testament that the Governor came on board prepared to serve the people. It is a progressive initiative that is already changing the educational narrative that has left the sector unattended by previous administrations in the state.
The Kefas administration‘s dream of providing free education in Taraba State is gaining momentum as it goes beyond settling school fees for primary and secondary school levels. The initiative cuts across all levels of basic and post-basic education in Taraba State, a reality that the people cannot but appreciate the Governor‘s swift intervention in the education sector.
Before Governor Kefas‘s intervention, a visit to any public school in Taraba State would leave one in shock, wondering if there had ever been a government in place and, if yes, what the priorities were. The decay in public schools was a shame, and Tarabian educationists had no pride.
Findings revealed that most primary and secondary schools in Taraba State were at the peak of deterioration. Students sat under trees, some in open spaces, and others learned under dilapidated structures, not minding the risks. While some communities mobilised resources to save their children‘s future through community development, most elected representatives from Taraba State and the National level saw no reason to add value to the education system in their constituencies, not to mention the negligence at the local government level.
More worrisome was the case where most children had no access to quality education due to the dilapidated structures. Where there were structures with students, it was noticed that there were no tutors to teach, as most teachers went about their normal businesses, thereby neglecting the true essence of their engagement. Those who desired a Western education had to trek long distances to acquire it, which most often discouraged them due to the associated risks.
Another challenge responsible for the increasing school dropouts was most parents‘ inability to afford their children‘s fees due to hardship in the land. Most of the parents constituted the largest population of civil servants or pensioners who were battling for their outstanding salaries with poor take-home pay, while others were peasant farmers.
Simply put, before Governor Agbu Kefas‘s administration, public schools in Taraba State were very bad. Hence, the initiative aimed at addressing the deteriorating conditions of educational institutions in the state.
But today, with Dr Agbu Kefas as Governor, the educational sector is witnessing remarkable progress. The state government has directed the provision of free uniforms, exercise books, textbooks, sandals, socks, and bags for primary and secondary school students across the state. It has also directed the provision of instructional materials to ease teaching and learning. In addition to reducing tuition fees, the Governor paid fees for NECO and WAEC examinations for students in secondary schools.
This is just as the Kefas administration has commenced aggressive renovation of dilapidated classroom blocks across public primary and secondary schools in the state, while tertiary institutions are receiving a boost in infrastructural development with the construction of new structures and the renovation of old buildings, different from TETFUND interventions.
Also, considering the security challenges in the state, the Governor deployed personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to improve the physical security of the schools to ensure a safe environment for learning, especially across boarding schools in the state.
Worthy of mention in Governor Kefas‘s commitment to the state‘s governance was his consistent release of funds and payment of bursary allowances to 400,000 Taraba Law students in the Nigerian Law School. This commitment underscores his administration‘s drive to ease financial burdens on parents and cushion the effect of hardship occasioned by inflation and the removal of fuel subsidies.
In addition, the Governor further slashed school fees for all academic programmes in the state‘s public tertiary institutions, aiming to ensure access to education and reduce the financial burden on parents. This has significantly increased tertiary education enrollment by 60%.
The initiative was to enable children from low-income homes to attend school, reduce poverty, and allow parents to cater to other family needs, as Governor Kefas has shouldered the burden of education.
The provision of education without charges for all students reflects the situation in the 1950s and early 1980s, when meals, transportation, and support for students with special needs, among other incentives, were made available to students.
Kefas‘s priority for free education also underscores his vision that education is the bedrock of every society. His administration is determined to eradicate illiteracy, promote quality at all levels of education, improve the people‘s livelihood, and drive the overall development of the state.
The narrative is fast changing with Dr Kefas‘s model of free education, which is setting the pace for purposeful governance in the future. It is a stimulus for student enrollment and teacher commitment and a relief for parents to be responsive in other areas.
Today, Taraba has not only moved from an educationally disadvantaged state, it is competing favourably with other states in the country.
The Governor‘s priority in all these education sector reforms is to ensure that no child in Taraba State is left behind educationally, hence his efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of every citizen of the state.
