Kano expends N30bn in offsetting primary school teachers’ salary arrears

Kano State government has expended over N30 billion in offsetting salary arrears owe teachers in public primary schools across the 44 local government councils in the state.
According to the government, clearing the backlog of salaries of the teachers was one of the strategic moves made to improve teaching and learning environment in the sector.
Hafiz Abubakar, deputy governor of the state, made this disclosure during a press briefing organised to mark the commencement of series of events outlined to mark the Basic Education Week.
Hafiz explained that the government resolved to expend the money in the sector, despite knowing that the responsibility of managing Basic Education sector was constitutional assigned to the local government councils.
“As we celebrate this year Basic Education Week, I am glad to let the world know that this regime has recorded tremendous successes in the promotion of the sector, which has translated into improved enrolment of pupils.
“The idea of coming up with the celebration of the week, was to highlight some of the specific achievements recorded in our quest to create access for the increasing number of school age children in the state.
“We all know that the management of Basic Education Sector is assigned to LGAs, but in order to keep the schools fully functional the state government was able to offset the salary arrears owed teachers at that level to the tune of #30 billion since coming to office.
“Our investment in the sector includes providing hundreds set of new chairs, and tables to the schools to ensure smooth environment for the students and teachers to operate,” he said.
He stated that the administration since assuming office was able to attract educational grant from the Federal Government and other stakeholders worth over N1.7 billion, which was invested in improving facilities in the schools.
Over 25,000 teachers in the sector that do not possessed the required teaching qualifications are being trained in the state owed college of education, and other federal colleges of education in the state, he said.
“As part of the plan for the Week celebration, one of the landmark event that we organised was the graduation of this set of teachers. We make this part of the programme because this is the first time such as thing is being done in the country.
“The society benefit of the efforts we are making is that a great number of our out of school children existing in the state are being captured into the formal educational system, which is good for the country,” he pointed out.