SATURDAY’S INTERVIEW
By Managing Editor
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Mrs Amina Ahmad Abubakar is the newly appointed Executive secretary of the Zamfara State Female Education Board, until her appointment, she had a stint as DG Rugga project an Initiative of Governor Muhammad Bello Matawalle’s administration. She was a primary school teacher for decades and later secured an appointment as a lecturer at the Zamfara State college of Arts and science (ZACAS) Gusau, currently a PhD student at the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. This week she had a chat with Managing Editor Thunder Blowers, Where she shared her perspectives on her new role as Executive secretary, how she intends to match the responsibility with corresponding sterling results.
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“If I can have my way as Executive secretary Zamfara State Female Education Board, I will ensure that every school age child is picked off the street(s) and enrolled into the formal school system because I’m disturbed to move on the street and see small girls going about hawking during school hours For I know it is not the best even for the sake of minimizing immorality in our society. I would work harder to actualize this dream”
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YOU HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY GOV. BELLO MATAWALLE AS THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF ZAMFARA FEMALE EDUCATION BOARD HOW DO YOU INTEND TO HANDLE THIS RESPONSIBILITY?
Honestly, I feel highly challenged given the fact that, the education sector in the contemporary world is highly demanding (especially Girl-Child education) and coupled with the economic hardship encountered by states world over.
As a trained teacher and educational administrator I know the level of crisis education is facing in Zamfara State an I am quite aware of what the administration of His Excellency Bello Matawalle has done to rescue the system and I feel my appointment to head the Zamfara State Female Education Board was done carefully in consideration of my wealth of experience in this regard, even though I know there are others that are far better than me.
DID YOU MEET THE SYSTEM AT THE BOARD AS ANTICIPATED?
Actually the challenges are enormous, even if one does not work in the sector he/she will know that the crises in the education sector is so overwhelming.
But to some extent I am impressed with the Initiative of the Executive Governor as he has done a lot and I think with the foundation he has made, I will build upon it to Initiate reforms that would complement the efforts of the Governor in making education sound, especially Girl-Child education in Zamfara State.
I have plans and I’m pleased to meet capable people at the Board, what is important for me is to meet with them and table these plans and begin to roll them one-by-one and by the special will of Allah we shall be able to make a difference and the Executive Governor and indeed parents/guardians will be proud of us.
WHAT IS YOUR DREAM ABOUT GIRL-CHILD EDUCATION IN ZAMFARA STATE?
I have a big dream for this education subsector and I believe when our many demands on the government are met we will do all that is possible to push and make sure that the desired reforms are made so that Girl -child education is moved forward in the state.
But the first important thing I want to champion is to boost the enrollment -drive of Girl -child education and also develop multiple strategies for their retention.
So, the task ahead of us is a heavy one but for sure we are going to engage the stakeholders in making sure that we have raised the flag of Girl -child education higher in Zamfara State and I’m confident that the executive Governor will surely support me in this regard.
WE HAVE NOTICED YOU HAVE RECENTLY CONDUCTED INSPECTION VISIT TO SOME FEMALE SCHOOLS UNDER YOUR BOARD, CAN WE KNOW THE WISDOM BEHIND THIS VISIT?
As someone who is new to the Board , i need to familiarise myself with the actors and machineries that matter in the management of the Board. I also want to see the condition of the schools under my charge as well as the teachers and indeed the students. This will assist me in planning and also for me to understand those that have the requisite capacity to come closer to me and those whose experiences are much needed at the level of school management.
We need to do assessment of manpower and fix the right people in the right places so that the board can make progress. My visitation had exposed me to understand many things and in the shortest possible time we are going to unveil our plans and by the special grace of Allah I will make the Executive Governor who appointed me happy.
WE HAVE ALSO SEEN YOU AT THE SCHOOL FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION IN GUSAU AND DURING YOUR VISIT CRITICAL ISSUES WERE RAISED BY THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SCHOOL, CAN YOU HIGHLIGHT MORE ON YOUR VISIT TO THE SCHOOL?
The school for continuing Education is a model school and because of its peculiarity those women and widows who had no opportunity to attend school when they were young are provided a platform to get enrolled.
I think it is probably the only model school in the country with these features and peculiarities, so we are going to pay attention to this school and sustain it as a model.
We learnt because some of the students of the school are now dropping out from the school due to their inability to afford transport fare and the management of the school has now forwarded a request to the Executive Governor to provide them with a Transit vehicle that can convey them to school and return them.
For us the situation is clear and surely the government is going to act on it urgently so that we shall not lose them out of school,
Again because majority of them are married with children, the school management requested that in collaboration with ZSUBEB the school be provided with Early child care Development platform where they are going to enroll their kids during school hours.
We saw that initiative as genuine and soonest we are going to extend the hand of fellowship to the state universal Basic Education Board to see the possibility of having that unit Established.
They have also requested for the establishment of skills Acquisition centre for the women and their argument is that since the majority of the student in the school are matured and mostly married, they need to have an integrated skills content in their education so that after graduation they can have something to based on the skills.
For that we shall contact the Directorate of skills Acquisition to see what can be done possibly to have the centre established. We are going to assign them the mandate to reach out to the politicians and Philanthropists to support the establishment of the Centre.
YOU HAVE VISITED THE COMMISSIONER FOR EDUCATION CAN WE KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DISCUSSED WITH HIM?
I paid a familiarization visit to meet the stakeholders at the Ministry of Education and my meeting with them had provided a sense of direction and we have ironed out areas of cooperation in order to move Female Education in Zamfara State forward.
Not only that we are also expanding the scope of the interface to all other agencies and parastatals of the Ministry. We are also reaching out to the traditional Institutions and the religious groups to understand their dimension of support to us and we shall perfect the entire process soonest.
In the interim we are going to reach out to stakeholders and consciously build from their opinions and perspectives because when you are equipped with multiple opinions you will be provided with alternative options by God’s grace we shall succeed.
WHAT IS YOUR APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC REGARDING YOUR NEW RESPONSIBILITY?
I appeal to all stakeholders to support us in this new mission and I am optimistic that we shall achieve our goals. We will continue with our visitation to schools and we shall see what will be possibly achieved in the shortest possible time.
