Only qualified teachers will teach in Borno ― Gov. Zulum

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno has said only qualified primary and secondary school teachers will henceforth be allowed to teach in the state.

Zulum made this known during a media chat to mark his one year in office on Sunday in Maiduguri.

He said that his administration had set up a committee to examine the qualification and quality of teachers with a view to flush out the unqualified ones.

“If we are to maintain some of the unqualified teachers, then we have to post them to some other places.

“We want to ensure that we have the correct teachers to graduate qualified pupils from our schools,’’ Zulum said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that education was among the 10-points agenda of Zulum-led administration.

The governor said that within the year, his administration executed 76 educational projects, including the construction of 23 mega schools and rehabilitation of many other schools.

He explained that most of the schools, particularly secondary schools, were technical colleges to enable the students to acquire technical skills to be able to fit into the labour market.

“We want to promote hygiene, technical and vocational education, quality of our teachers and also maintain reasonable teacher/pupils ratio,’’ the governor said.

In the area of health, he has directed the state Ministry of Health and Hospital Management Board to recruit 20 more doctors, 150 nurses and midwives.

“They are to also to re-recruit 200 nurses and midwives all in an effort to revamp the health system.

“Our tertiary hospitals are overcrowded and the best way out is to strengthen the primary healthcare system.

“We have built 23 primary healthcare centres and we are still doing more because we want to achieve the minimum threshold as outlined by the World Health Organisation, which is having one primary healthcare per ward.

“Where we have more population we will establish more. We also constructed two maternal healthcare centres in Maiduguri for our free maternal healthcare programme as enshrined in our constitution.’’

The governor restated his administration’s plan to also expand areas of cultivation by farmers in the state this year to strengthen food security.

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Zulum said his administration had provided fertiliser and other inputs.

He is also speaking to the Chief of Army Staff, who directed the military to expand the scope of agriculture activities in the state.

According to him, the Agro Rangers and Civilian Joint Task Force are also being mobilised to complement the military in protecting farmers.

In the area of potable water, the governor said that the Maiduguri Water Treatment Plant had been overhauled while 200 new boreholes were drilled and 300 others rehabilitated.

The governor noted that civil authority had been restored in many local government areas.

He added that his administration has built confidence in the citizens, particularly those affected by the insurgency in rural areas through regular visits and provision of humanitarian support them.

“I visited all the local governments, some of them three to four times to ensure stabilisation at the local government level, thereby reducing the trust deficit between the government and the people.

“It’s only when you bring the population to your side that you will win the insurgency and reduce recruitment of the locals by the insurgents,’’ Zulum said.

He urged the people of Borno, whose prayers, he said, was the magic for his administration’s performance to continue to be patient, resilient and steadfast as well as committed to transforming the state.

The governor assured that he remained committed, with his team, to continue to provide good governance. (NAN)