Nasarawa State has gotten the legal instrument to establish a separate institution dedicated to funding education from the primary to the tertiary levels.
This followed the passage of Education Development Trust Fund bill by the State House of Assembly.
The speaker, Mr. Danladi Jatau, who announced the passage of the bill into law after it scaled through third reading at the floor of the house, said the existence of the fund will ensure quality and sound education in the state.
According to him, the house accorded the executive bill accelerated hearing considering the importance of sound education to the development of the society.
He commended the chairman of the education committee, Mr. Abel Yakubu Bala and his members for doing a thorough job while also appreciating Governor Abdullahi Sule for his zeal and passion for the education sector, which informed the initiation of the bill.
” I want to appreciate the committee for their efforts in ensuring that standard of education is improved in the state.
” We will not leave any stone unturned to ensure that quality and sound education is provided in the state,” he said.
He said the law provided for confiscated amounts accrued from criminal proceedings and activities to be channelled into the state education trust fund.
He noted that it also provides a jail term for individuals or groups found guilty of embezzling funds meant for the trust fund.
“The Nasarawa State Education Development Trust Fund is also aimed at providing functional and qualitative education, educational infrastructure, vocational skills, scholarship and other interventions to strengthen the standard of education and allow the state compete with its contemporaries educationally.
“The law equally had 19 recommendations on possible ways of making the trust fund feasible.
“Additionally, aside seeking for upward review from one to two percent of the contract sum from companies in the state as source of funding, it also provides for one percent in the salaries of political office holders to fund the education trust fund.
“The law also pegged funds to institutions accordingly where tertiary institution will take 50%, secondary school 30% and basic level 20%, suggesting that the chairman of the trust fund must be a retired and seasoned educationist while the secretary should be a civil servant not below the rank of a director in the state civil service.
“Also in the law all monies secured will be shared into two where capital projects will take 70% and training will gulp 30% respectfully,”heexplained.
The speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Mr Ibrahim Musa, to produce a clean copy of the law for his perusal and onward transmission to Gov. Abdullahi Sule for his ascent.
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