By Thompson Yamput
The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) on Thursday commended the Kogi House of Assembly for the efforts toward passing a bill establishing a State Senior Secondary Education Board (SSSEB).
Dr Iyela Ajayi, NSSEC Executive Secretary, gave the commendation during the public hearing at the state House of Assembly, on the establishment of the State Senior Secondary Education Board (SSSEB) in line with the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act 2023.
Ajayi, who made 14 observations and recommendations on the bill, up played the importance of the bill to the growth and development of Kogi and the nation as a whole.
“Just like TETfund to the tertiary institutions and UBEC to primary and junior secondarily schools, SSSEB will help transform our senior secondary schools for the education and grooming of our youths for higher education.
“It’s unfortunate that senior secondary schools were left as orphans with no organ to cater for them until the establishment of NSSEC by President Muhammadu Buhari adminstration in 2023.
“The good about the commission is that the states need to give just five per cent counterpart funding to any project to be carried out in their domains,” he said.
The executive secretary assured the state of the readiness of the commission to work with the would be established board towards the transformation of the secondary education in Kogi.
But he frowned at the formation of a governing board to oversee the functions of the SSSEB, adding that it was in contrast to the Act establishing the Commission.
“Beside, having a governing board will only create conflict between it and the main board, a situation that will creat a clog in the wheel of progress, ” he warned.
Mr Wemi Jones, Commissioner for Education, said that the education transformation taking place in Kogi would make the state a reference point in Nigeria in years coming.
The commissioner said it was only in Kogi that education got the lion share of the state 2024 budget, higher than the 25 per cent benchmark of UNESCO.
He said that the Kogi government would give all the necessary support and cooperation to the commission and board to succeed in raising the standard of education in the state.
Prof David Omale, Dean, Faculty of Education, Federal University Lokoja (FUL), cautioned against any legislation that would creat conflict in the day-to- day running of secondary education in the state.
Omale called for the right and responsibility to train secondary school teachers to be given to FUL as well as the counselling of the students toward choice of career as they headed to the tertiary level.
The speaker of the house, Alhaji Umar Yusuf, thanked the NSSEC for its concern and immeasurable assistance toward the bill for the establishment of the board (SSSEB).
Yusuf said that the house was very pleased with the activities of NSSEC and would see to the proper drafting and passage of the bill for the benefit of the state. NAN
