Report on Out-of-school-children in Akwa Ibom: State Authorities Response opens extra loopholes

By Ekemini Simon

The Authorities of Akwa Ibom State has described the investigative report on the federal government’s questionable priorities fueling the prevalence of out-of-school kids in Akwa Ibom State as deceptive, mischievous, and politically motivated.

An in depth investigation that lasted for 2 months revealed that the federal government of Akwa Ibom State did not make monetary releases for budgeted programmes that sought to sort out the prevalence of out-of-school kids within the State.

The report additionally confirmed that the State Authorities was not adequately funding the free and obligatory training programme of the state therefore the official approval of intervention charges amongst different arbitrary fees in authorities public colleges which discouraged college enrollment.

The report additional highlighted how problem in accessing public colleges in some communities has propelled the rise within the variety of out-of-school kids in Akwa Ibom state with emphasis that the controversial funds spent on the upkeep of the Governor’s personal jet if channeled to full cost of subventions to public colleges and programmes that improve college enrollment may probably scale back the prevalence of out-of-school kids in Akwa Ibom State.

Nevertheless, in response to the publication of our report, the federal government issued a press release on Thursday, signed by the Commissioner for Training,  Idongesit Etiebet the place it dismissed the report as ” extremely fallacious, doesn’t mirror the exceptional progress the state has recorded within the training sector within the final 7 years below the watch of Governor Udom Emmanuel”.

The Commissioner stated that Akwa Ibom has 3,129,620 college kids in public and government-approved personal colleges accommodated in 2,826 private and non-private colleges within the state.

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Etiebet famous that the quantity talked about is a product of the training grasp plan of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration which she claimed has led to improved amenities and employment of extra lecturers in colleges, in addition to immediate funds of salaries and different emoluments to lecturers throughout the state.

The Commissioner added “The State is at the moment working a free, obligatory and qualitative primary training programme which makes it necessary for each youngster of faculty age to be in class throughout college hours.

” This coverage which is backed by the state’s Youngster’s Rights Regulation makes it a punishable offense for fogeys and guardians whose kids are caught loitering throughout college hours. Training screens unfold throughout the three senatorial districts are day by day implementing compliance by way of day by day patrol workouts.

” The State Authorities additionally pays subventions of 100 to 200 naira per youngster, per time period respectively to all public major and secondary colleges respectively, to discourage all types of hidden fees by colleges’ heads”.

Observations/ Loopholes within the State Authorities Claims 

Evaluation of the assertion by the Authorities of Akwa Ibom State has left many loopholes.

TheMail Newspaper through the two months of investigation had by way of a Freedom of Data request, calls and textual content/WhatsApp messages requested the Commissioner for Training for info and paperwork on the variety of pupils and college students in every public college within the State.

The Newspaper equally requested to know and see proof of the quantity paid as subvention to every of the first and secondary colleges within the State to help in knowledge comparability with info the newspaper received from Head Lecturers and Faculty Principals that the cost was irregular and disproportionate with the variety of college students in class.

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The Commissioner in reply to our letter together with a reminder insisted that the knowledge won’t be given.

The refusal of the Ministry to avail the newspaper of the knowledge with proof raises inquiries to the claims on the variety of kids in class and the assertion of presidency immediate cost of emoluments/ subvention to varsities.

As well as, the Commissioner did not dispute or touch upon why the State Authorities has formally authorised the gathering of intervention charges in secondary colleges if the free and obligatory training was actual.

The Commissioner didn’t additionally tackle why the State Authorities had made a number of budgetary votes since 2016 until 2022  to  ” mop-up out-of-school-children” if the difficulty was not prevalent within the State. She didn’t as properly clarify in her assertion the rationale the federal government did not make monetary releases for the programmes.

What’s extra,  Etiebet did not justify how college enrollment can be excessive in a few of the communities highlighted within the report that didn’t have entry to public colleges.

She neither disputed the 2020 knowledge by the Nationwide Bureau of Statistics’ report on women and men nor knowledge printed within the 2018 Digest of Fundamental Training Statistics by the Common Fundamental Training Fee (UBEC) which reported Akwa Ibom State because the second highest in out-of-school-children in Nigeria nor did she current different knowledge from an information establishment on the State or Federal stage.

Curiously, checks reveal that there have been no stories for the reason that administration of Governor Emmanuel about how violators caught by Training screens have been prosecuted in step with the Commissioner’s claims that ” Training Displays unfold throughout the three senatorial districts are implementing day by day compliance by way of day by day patrol workouts.” Quite the opposite, the investigative report had proven pictorial proof of youngsters hawking and dealing overtly throughout college hours coupled with testimonies from mother and father and group leaders on the prevalence of out-of-school kids of their communities.

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The Commissioner for Training, Idongesit Etiebet didn’t reply to calls, textual content,s and WhatsApp messages despatched to her for a response. TheMail sought to know her reactions to the loopholes recognized within the authorities’s assertion.