Governor Agbu Kefas has stated that the number of children out of school in Taraba State is alarming, which prompted his recent intervention of declaring free education for primary and secondary school pupils, as well as a 50% reduction in student fees at the state varsity.
The governor stated this on Thursday, when he appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
While noting that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that children get good education, Governor Kefas said it is sad that only few pupils are in school in the state.
“In primary school we have two thousand and seventy (2070),” Governor Kefas declared, adding that this is as a result of poor enrolment in the state.
He noted that many families do not have anyone in school while many children have no parents to fund their academic pursuits.
When asked if he has been able to run the numbers and would be able to deliver on his promise to students, looking at the state’s income and the intervention he has proposed, the governor said he thinks the administration can comfortably bear the burden.
He said at the moment, there are several assessments and interactions going on, most of which are geared towards getting new sources of funding to foot the bills of the children and students who the government have promised to train.
“I am trying my best to see that the state is secured so that we can attract investors, especially in the area of agriculture and mining,” he buttressed.
According to him, once this is done, the Taraba State government would have enough resources to carry out its responsibilities without having to depend solely on what is coming in from the Federation’s account.
Governor Kefas noted that talks are underway with some development partners and the government is working on a supplementary budget to take care of the provisions being made to see that more children get quality education in Taraba State.