By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has embarked on the construction of Eighteen Mega Schools across the Six States of the North-East subregion in order to join the states in reducing the hight number of out-of-school children.
The disclosure was made by the Managing Director /CEO of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Goni Alkali while speaking to Journalists in Bauchi at the end of 3-day inspection visit by the House of Representatives Committee on NEDC as part of its oversight functions.
He explained that the Commission embarked on construction of the Mega Schools across the Six States of the subregion in order to reduce the number of out-of-school children which has become an alarming menace.
Goni Alkali stressed that the issue of out-of-school children in the subregion must be tackled from all angles through multidimensional approach, the more reason NEDC saw it necessary to intervene in the area.
He explained that the Mega Schools are Eighteen in number spread across the Eighteen Senatorial Districts in the North-East, 3 each in the Six North-East States.
According to him, “Without school structires you cannot fight out of school syndrome. There must be a place to take the children to in order to keep them on school. That is what we are doing here in Bauchi and in the other states.”
Goni Alkali added that the Commission will do everything possible to join the Six States to fight the menace and ensure that children have conducive environment for learning.
He assured that the project will soon be completed and handed over to Bauchi state Government for use stressing that, “The children are from the State, so, the School belongs to the State.”
On maintenance, the NEDC MD/CEO said that, “The Commission will work with the Bauchi State Government to maintain the structure, though it will be handed over to the Government, NEDC will keep eyes on its usage and will come in from time to time.”
He then commended the contractors for a job well done so far urging them to deliver on schedule to enable the school takeoff without further delay.
