By Mohammed Suleiman, Dutse
Jigawa Education and Accountability Forum, ( JEAF) has advised the state govt to be more committed to education, stressing that even though it expended N23,409,988,355.32 on the development of the state education sector in both first and second quarter of this year, much is expected for the growth of the sector.
Reviewing the state budget performance with particular reference to the educational sector, at a Media Parley organized by the Forum, a resource person, Comrade Isa Mustapha noted that the amount spent in the first and Second quarter, ₦15.4 billion on Personnel , Overhead ₦1.2 billion and ₦6.7 on capital projects were not enough.
” The pro rate performance for the midyear stood at 28.9% of the total annual budget allocation made to the state education sector ”
In his contribution, the Secretary Jigawa Education and Accountability Forum (JEAF) Comrade Ayuba Gwaram described the budget performance as short of expectation.
Ayuba explained that, JEAF in collaboration with support from PLANE a UK funded Project had conducted series of engagement with communities and Education managers on how to strengthen public participation in education.
During the parley, fundamental issues confronting education such as dearth of teachers, school’s delapidation, shortage of learning facilities among others were discussed with a view to finding a way forward.
Participants at the parley called on the state government to allow annual recruitment of teachers to narrow shortage of teachers as well provision of learning tools in meeting schools requirements across the state.
Similarly the parley callef for increased budgetary allocation to the educational sector among other viable sectors that has direct bearing on the state’s populace.
JEAF, is a State-Led accountability Mechanism, a co- creation, of government,professional bodies, CSOs , Traditional rulers and the Media working to strengthen accountability in the education sector.
