Fulani Community in Bununu Ward of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi has expressed fear that unless government comes to their aid, no fewer than 150 of their children may abandon their thirst for modern education due to lack of permanent school buildings.
The assertion was made by Hardon Sabon Garin Yisin, Malam Luje Mohammed during an advocacy visit to the community by an NGO, Women Development Initiative for Self Sustainance (WODASS).
He said that the one block of classrooms built with mud through self-help was grossly inadequate and may not meet the needs of a large population of children of the nomads, who nurse ambition for both modern Islamic and western form of education.
The Hardo buttressed this by saying that the lone building now serves the interest of primary Four and Five classes while other pupils take lessons in the open.
Malam Luje Mohammed who took the visiting team round the school site complained about lack of teaching aids, portable water and desks as pupils have to sit on bare floors to learn, adding that the community has to rely on indigenous graduates who now serve as volunteer teachers.
Hardo Sabon Garin Yasin therefore called on the Nomadic Education Agency to come to their aid by correcting the wrong perception that Fulani people dislike all forms of education, assuring that if a permanent structure is built, parents who have withdrawn their children will be encouraged to bring them back.
Also speaking, the Hardon Rugan Gambo in Bula ward, Malam Gambo Abdullahi said a 2- kilometre distance between his community and Jambil was stressful for children of the area and therefore urged Tafawa Balewa local council and SUBEB to set up a school at Rugan Gambo to enable children of the area Benefit from the dividends of democracy.
In a remark, the spokesman of the Bauchi State-based NGO, WODASS, Mr Magaji Barde said that the visit was informed by the need to scale up best hygiene practices in order to check the spread of waterborne diseases.
He, however, implored Fulani to extend their passion for Education to embrace best personal and environmental hygiene behaviour that would add value to their social well-being.
Magaji Barde commended Fulani residents of both communities for their self-help effort assuring that their request would be forwarded to the appropriate government agencies for necessary action.
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