Borno State Government Pays N494 Million for 2024 SSCE Fees for Public School Students

…Zulum orders completion of permanent NECO office.

By: Our Reporter

In a significant stride towards educational equity, the Borno State Government has announced the payment of N493.9 million to cover the 2024 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) fees for 25,075 students in public schools.

The Honourable Commissioner of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Hon. Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, made the announcement on Friday during a disbursement ceremony. He emphasized the government’s ongoing commitment to making education accessible to all, underscoring that the initiative subsidizes the exam fees by 75%, thus alleviating the financial burden on students and their families.

For the 2024 academic year, the state government will contribute N326.7 million, while the 27 Local Government Areas will provide a combined total of N167.2 million, paid directly to the National Examinations Council (NECO). This payment is part of a larger effort by the Borno State Government, which has invested over N1 billion this year alone to cover the costs of both the May/June and June/July WASSCE and SSCE exams.

Since the beginning of Governor Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum’s administration in 2019, the state has spent a total of N4.1 billion on examination fees for 138,438 students in public schools. This substantial financial commitment highlights the government’s dedication to ensuring fairness and providing equal educational opportunities for all students, regardless of their socio-economic background.

Hon. Engr. Wakilbe also extended his gratitude to NECO for its robust support, acknowledging the council’s efforts to make SSCE examinations accessible across nearly all parts of the state. This expansion has significantly reduced logistical challenges, such as the need for students to travel to Maiduguri, thus alleviating issues of overcrowding in boarding schools and ensuring a smoother examination process for students.

Wakilbe noted that illegal practice leads to difficulties in student verification, encourages indiscipline, and results in corruption and malpractice within public schools. It also places a heavy financial burden on the government and depletes the state’s limited resources. Any principal whose school’s examination centre is derecognized due to malpractice will be immediately removed from their position.

“In recognition of NECO’s efforts, His Excellency has directed the Ministry to submit plans for the completion of the permanent NECO office at the Mustapha Umar Elkanemi College. Following this briefing, we will visit the site, where NECO will formally hand it over to the engineers, allowing for the necessary work to be completed.” Wakilbe Said

The Coordinator NECO Borno State, Mr. Dauda Thomas Yahaya, has expressed gratitude to the Borno State government for its financial support, which will significantly alleviate the financial burden on the families. 
 
On behalf of the Registrar and CEO NECO, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, Yahaya acknowledged the payment and commended Governor Banagana Umara Zulum and Commissioner Engr Wakilbe for covering the SSCE fees of public school children, demonstrating their commitment to advancing education in the state.

Borno State Government Pays N494 Million for 2024 SSCE Fees for Public School Students

Borno Flood: Kashim Imam Begins Distribution of Cooked Meals to Victims

By: Michael Mike

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Parliamentary Liaison Officer, Alhaji Kashim Imam has volunteered to provide meals to large number of people displaced by recent flood the submerge more than half of Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital and its environs.

Imam, who is also a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on Wednesday said the gesture became imperative in order to present many residents of the state who had been thrown into discomfort as result of the devastating flood, which has resulted in unprecedented devastation, with over 30 lives lost, 23,000 residential houses destroyed, and 414,000 people displaced, critical infrastructure, including bridges, roads, electricity systems, healthcare facilities, and schools, severely damaged, including approximately one million people losing their source of livelihood.

Imam. who is known for his philanthropic acts have had to relocate to Maiduguri to supervise the distribution to internally displaced persons camps accommodating the victims of the disaster in Maiduguri and its environs.

According to Imam who spoke during a brief press conference, “We are saddened by the shared numbers of lives lost, by our account, it’s running into hundreds and sadly their bodies are being discovered daily as water recedes. The carnage, the loss of lives, the loss of properties and unimaginable displacements.

“The immediate emphasis is on food, I have seen people crying they haven’t eaten in two days and this is an immediate concern of everybody, as water recedes and we count our losses then these other challenges will also come to the fore.

“In line with the appeal of Governor Zulum, we elected to focus on alleviating the suffering of those affected by providing food and water with immediate effect so I am happy to inform you that I am providing a total of 200,000 food packs we have already commenced with an average of 6,000 a day and we wish to scale to 10,000 packs every day,” Imam said.

Imam, who was at different times the gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state before joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the food distribution is only the first step in his intervention pointing out that “ there are short, medium and long time plans of assisting the flood victims “.

He lamented that: “Almost every indigene of Borno is sad and saddened by the devastation that has befallen my home town Maiduguri . We are saddened by the sheer number of lives lost, which by all accounts running into hundreds. Nobody can give you exact accurate figures. Still and sadly there are bodies that are being discovered daily as the water recedes. Sadly nobody has the most accurate figures. It is very factual that it runs into hundreds of lives lost.

“Thousands of people are homeless. All there homes have been destroyed by the floods; nobody was prepared for this; our poele were caught unawares in the middle of the night. The floods came in the middle of the night and all accounts points at between midnight and half past midnight. Most people were already home in bed and most were asleep. All were caught unawares. Nobody saw this coming and nobody was prepared for this. The carnage, the lost of life, the loss of properties is enormous. Those that were rescued managed to escape with the cloths that they were wearing. And if you go round the metropolis, out of the 15 wards in Maiduguri, only four were not affected. Eleven were badly affected. In some of these wards, more than a week after people are still trapped they cannot come out.

Fatima Imam, one of the daughters of Imam who was part of the group that oversee the food packaging, revealed that members of her family have continued to work round the clock to ensure cooked food reaches all the victims.

She said: “We try to feed as many people as possible every day- sometimes we cook rice, stew and beef while other times Jollof rice. We cook at least 20 bags of rice every day – we sleep by 4 am and wake up by 6 am just to make sure we get food across to the flood victims.”

Borno Flood: Kashim Imam Begins Distribution of Cooked Meals to Victims

NA BURIES LATE BRIG GEN BB TETE IN HIS HOME TOWN WITH FULL MILITARY HONOURS

By Our Reporter

In line with the rich military customs, ethics and tradition, the Nigerian Army (NA) buried one of its finest senior officer late Brig Gen BB Tete who died recently after a protected illness in a solemn ceremony held on 18 September 2024 in his home town of Bakin Kogi-Kanikon in Jemma’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The funeral afforded senior military officers both serving and retired the opportunity to pay their last respect to one of their distinguished and finest colleagues.
The funeral brings together military elites and dignitaries from across the country.

In the late senior officer’s funeral oration read by the representative of the Chief of Army Staff, Brigadier General MT Jinadu who stood in for the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army Major General Mayirenso Lander David Saraso. The COAS described the late senior officer as a highly resourceful, disciplined, regimented and hardworking gentleman whose integrity was beyond reproach. “He was a man of impeccable character and unwavering dedication,” he remarked. He also highlighted the late senior officer’s ability to leave a mark of excellence in every assignment he undertook. He further emphasized that late Gen Tete’s patriotism and moral standards were exemplary, earning him the respect and admiration of both his peers, superiors and subordinates alikes.

The COAS further mentioned that late senior officer’s demise will be deeply felt not only by his immediate family but the entire Nigerian Army and the nation at large adding that his legacy of forthrightness and vast experience in the military will be greatly missed. He prayed to the Almighty God to grant him eternal rest and give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

The funeral ceremony witnessed an impressive turnout of very senior military officers serving and retired including the former Chief of Defence Staff Gen ML Agwai and coursemate of the deceased senior officer as well as serving and retired senior officers of the Nigerian military. Together, they all gathered to honour and paid their last respect to a man whose life was defined by service, commitment and an unwavering sense of duty to humanity and his country.

NA BURIES LATE BRIG GEN BB TETE IN HIS HOME TOWN WITH FULL MILITARY HONOURS