Education, they say is the bedrock of all developments in society. More so, the developmental level of a society can be determined by the quality of education of such a society. Going by history, Zamfara had a larger and envious number of educated people in the former Sokoto State, Which at that time Zamfara was predicted to be among the fastest-growing states in the North-Western region of Nigeria if declared independent.
Time never fails, Zamfara started well, however, the state is being tested with bad leadership which sees no value in educating the children of the poor as such the state of education dwindled to the state of death.
Some days ago, with a heavy heart, I read through an article in the defense of the failure of Zamfara state government settlement of WAEC/NECO registration fees where the writer pointed out that, it is only for a motivational objective that the state government pays such fees. He arbitrarily argues that the tradition emanated when the government struggled to educate its populace. Meaning Zamfara is now at a time with no or very little number of people that are not educated therefore needless of such endeavor by the government. Here, every reasonable Nigerian can feel the effect of political blindness in his words.
The state of education in Zamfara has been deteriorating ever since the inception of the government of the day led by Bello Matawalle. All spheres of education have been badly damaged and made discouraging for the younger generation. According to statistics, Zamfara state has the lowest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, the Highest illiteracy level, the highest poverty level, and so on. A state in this situation ought to have given more emphasis on education to improve economically and democratically. When society decides that only the financially capable get educated, you have a society that may be mighty in number but weak economically as in our case.
Contrary to other states with the same problem of insecurity like Kaduna which education of its people has never been disrupted, discouraged as well destroyed as Zamfara is handling policies of Education. In Zamfara, construction/renovation of the state government house/ government lodges, gifting emirs luxurious cars, and construction of Five Star hotels are more prioritized than educating its people.
Teachers’ welfare is being neglected and their condition of service is disheartening. Besides having the lowest salary scale in Nigeria, teachers in Zamfara are being treated as fewer humans compared to politicians. Some teachers do not even have desks to seat talk less of being provided with adequate stationeries for the smooth running of their duties couple with sheltering under dilapidated classrooms and offices.
School feeding which is a tool to keep children at school due to the poverty level of the state has stopped and students have been kept away from schools for almost a year in 2021 due to the administration’s inability to protect schools from terrorist attacks.
The nonchalant attitude of the state government towards education gives all indications that the people in the corridor of power have little regard for the education of the poor people. Perhaps, they plan to monopolize education so as to keep power to their respective selves and their children.
Zamfara state government’s approach towards education is a thing of utmost concern, so I appeal to well-meaning indigenes of the state and those in privileged positions to invest in education to rescue our children and our society. It is only through education we can surmount numerous problems engulfing our state as education empowers each citizen to know more about the constructive possibilities of living and also how to contribute more to the society for the benefit of all. With education, we are free and safe. Let not at all costs, be derived of it, please.