The Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly Abubakar Y Suleiman has revealed that the State legislative arm will work with the Executive Arm to consider coming up with new education policy other than the National Education Policy being used by States in the Country.
He made the statement during the commissioning of the Secretariat of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Federal Polytechnic Bauchi Chapter, today.
The Speaker who said he was touched with the thought provoking presentation of former Minister of Education Alhaji Dauda Birma in which he explained how national education policy is negatively affecting northern States, assured that they will work jointly with the State Government to see how they can change the policy by reintroducing teachers colleges among other policies which he said are better foundation for quality teaching.
According to him, the abolishing of teachers colleges is one of the reasons secondary schools and tertiary institutions are producing graduates that cannot defend their certificates due to poor teaching quality.
Hon. Abubakar Suleiman commended ASUP Federal Polytechnic Bauchi Chapter for erecting the giant edifice and named it after late Senator Ali Wakili, saying the Late Senator was a worthy son of Bauchi State who has done a lot in the development of education and all sectors during his lifetime.
In his speech, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammad appreciates the Union for honouring Late Senator Ali Wakili with what he described as beautiful monument.
The Governor who was represented by the Chief of Staff Bauchi State Government House Dr. Ladan Salihu described Late Senator Wakili as a leader in all ramifications whose legacies are truly felt though he is absent.
Governor Bala Mohammad reaffirms that education is the cardinal principle and policy of his administration thus in the past one year, the administration has embarked on the total renovation of primary and secondary schools that were left to decay and construct new ones across the State.
According to the Governor, this is in addition to infrastructural development that the Administration embarked across the State.
He added that through stakeholding and partnership, his administration has been able to build a system of administration and governance that respect all, irrespective of party affiliation, thus he found partner in Bauchi State House of Assembly headed by Speaker . Abubakar Y Suleiman and the Members of the Assembly though he is in PDP and the majority members of the Assembly are APC but working together for the interest of Bauchi State and they are succeeding.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of ASUP Comrade explained that the Secretariat was built from deductions from salaries of the members of the Union.
According to the National President the Union decided to name the edifice after Late Senator Ali Wakili in order to honour and immortalize him in recognition of his sponsorship of what he described as revolutionary bill before the 8th Assembly for the amendment of a very obsolete law governing the Nigerian Federal Polytechnics, Federal Polytechnics 2004 which was later passed and assented by President Muhammadu Buhari after the late Senator passed on, as Federal Polytechnics Amended Law 2019.
In his speech, the Chairman of the Occasion who is also the Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Chief Audu Ogbe said that the Secretariat complex built by ASUP is a positive development especially at this time when the northern part of the country needs technical education to defeat its many challenges.
The Chairman who was represented by Dr. Bala Abubakar called on the Union members to train young Nigerians in the Polytechnic to emerge not with paper qualifications joining the already large army of job seekers but as innovators, inventors and solution providers in order to reduce poverty and create wealth in northern Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Guest Speaker of the Occasion Alhaji Dauda Birma, attributed the backwardness of education in northern Nigeria to religiously following of National Education Policy by northern States which he said does not match with the peculiarities of northern Nigeria.
Alhaji Birma who is a former Minister of Education advocated for new education policies across the northern States that can better satisfy the peculiarities and educational needs of northern States.
The Occasion was attended by former senators, politicians and various personalities from across the Country.
