By Stephen Adeleye.
Kogi Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Wemi Jones, has restated government’s commitment to pay more attention to primary and secondary education development in the state.
Jones disclosed this on Friday during an unscheduled monitoring and supervision visit to Government Science Secondary School (GSSS) Lokoja.
The commissioner, who arrived the premises at about 7.50 a.m, noted that out of over 70 teachers in the school only few numbers resumed work early, saying it was not an impressive situation.
He stressed that government would pay a lot of attention to inspection, examination, supervision and evaluation to ensure strict compliance to education laws in the state.
“This time around, we are going to do things very differently, we are going to pay a lot of attention to inspection, examination, supervision and evaluation.
“The government is going to pay much more attention to the issue of primary and secondary school Education as far as Kogi is concerned.
“Because basic education appear to be the area where we have a lot of work to do, and we are going to focus very much on it.
“We are not going to shy away from relieving people of their jobs, redeploy Principals or even terminate their appointments if we find them wanting in one way or the other. We are not here for jokes,” he said.
The commissioner noted that the State has three Universities, one Polytechnic and two Colleges of Education, College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, and Vocational Institute (NKFI).
“It is from our secondary schools that we will get students admitted into those Tertiary Institutions, and we cannot ignore it.
“Our Educational focus especially for Secondary School is majorly on Science Technically Engineering and Mathematics (STEM),” he said.
Jones further encouraged the teachers to get a copy of the Kogi State Education Law 2020, and acquaint themselves with it so as not be caught doing the wrong things as teachers.
The commissioner warned that aiding and abetting exam malpractice in any form by Principals to the least staff, would no longer be allowed as perpetrators would be prosecuted.
He also advised the teachers to embrace discipline as their watchword at all times by coming to school early.
The commissioner restated government’s commitment to ensure total compliance to the rules guiding education in the state.
He added: “I am coming to beg you so that you will not come and beg me later. We will be taken stringent decisions on any of your misconducts.
“No matter who you know or highly placed you think you are in the society, nobody will answer you if you are caught on a wrong side of the law.
“We cannot toil with the future of our children because they are the future of our state”.
Jones emphasised that His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, has assured his total commitment to the developmental strive of the immediate past Governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello.
The commissioner assured that the teachers’ welfare would be properly catered for along with the infrastructure development.
He promised that the GSSS Lokoja would be one of the first phase of schools that would get major intervention very soon.
He, therefore urged the staff to do their own part so that the government would be encouraged to do more.
The Principal, Government Science Secondary School Lokoja, Mr Stephen Ajayi, said he was elated by the unscheduled visit, saying it was a form of assistance to help motivate the teachers to up their game.
Ajayi commended the state government for the infrastructure development in education as well as recruitment of teachers in the state.
He noted that GSSS Lokoja now had enough teachers for all their subjects, but appealed to the state government for provision of teaching and learning aids.
The commissioner also took time to go round various classrooms to monitor the teachers teaching the students.
It would be recalled that the Commissioner had on Tuesday paid unscheduled visit to Crowther Memorial College in Lokoja, warning teachers against lateness to school.
