By Alfred M. Akwe
Nasarawa State Steering Committee on the Implementation of Adolescents Girls Initiatives for Learning and Empowerment (Agile) convened community engagement to address issues identified by the State Project Implementation Unit during validation of schools selected for the construction of junior and senior secondary schools exercise across the state.
The exercise which is part of components 1.1 activity , creating safe and Accessible Learning Space was aimed at addressing the supply- site constraint to girls education specifically,
The meeting which was being chaired by the Chairman of the steering committee who is also the Nasarawa State, Dr John DW Mamman, became necessary due to the inability of some of the selected schools to meet certain criteria for the proposed construction of the schools under the AgILE project.
The State project Manager, AGILE, Hajiya Aishatu Aliyu Isoga while briefing the steering committee members and members of the affected communities explained that the project which has the support of the World Bank is expected to meet certain specificationss.
According to the State project Manager, some of the specifications include the willingness of the community.to support.the project, high children especially the girl-child enrolment, Security, Access road, Land space to accommodate the expansion of the school facilities being planned among several other conditions.
She explained that the State Project Implementation Unit, (SPIU) carried out evaluation if the schools earmarked for the project, it was discovered that some of the schools did not meet the criteria.
The Project manager enumerated the schools affected are located in Gudi, Mada Hills in Akwanga LGA. Doma North in.Doma LGA, Kala’Uro in Toto LGA and Alizaga In Nasarawa Eggon.
According to her, the SPIU was able to discover that the schools ok ack a number gap, insecurity, flood, above poor enrolment figure by the schools and lack of Access road and so the need to call for stakeholders meeting so as to understand the issues and where possible find the way forward.
The Chairman while speaking earlier said the meeting was called so that government and the people reach could understanding with the various community have common understanding CAso as to avoid possible rancour and acrimony when govt decides to take relocate the school to a more acceptable site.
He charged the community representatives at the meeting to be dispassionate in their contributions as possible and should take away politics from issue of education and to be frank as well.
Leaders of the various communities affected by the challenge took turn to commend SPIU for a thorough report and admitted that the report is a true reflection of the situation on ground 8n respect ti the schools chosen.
While pleding to find alternatives where neccessary pleaded to be allowed to go back and brief members of their communities and assured that solution would be found.
They however pleased that where it became necessary that their schools lose out, they should be consider should their be e be issues be of renovation, fencing, and infrastructure that makes be learning attractive, they should be considered.
Alizaga, Kala’uro and Mada Hills communities specifically solicited that government should consider their schools in the areas of renovation of school structure and provision of other facilities in the future.
In a closing remarks, the Chairman of the steering committee and Honourable Commissioner of Education, appreciated members of the state steering committee for the response and valued contributions during deliberation.
He urged those that attended to report back to their community some of the revolutions and decisions taken as relate to sitting the schools in their environment.
Krestnews reports that the State is to build thirty schools in all; 15 junior secondary schools to be built within existing primary schools facility while 15 secondary.schools are to be built in junior secondary schools facilities to promote seamless transition.
It is further revealed that each of the 13 LGA is to have two(2) schools each except Lafia, Akwanga, and Nasarawa LGAs which has 4, and three each in that order.
In attendance were traditional rulers community leaders, Head teachers, school principals, and Education Secretaries from the affected communities and schools as well as Members of the Steering Committee which comprised of Commissioners of line Ministries, the State Project Manager, selected community members and a member of the State House of Assembly.