Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman
ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
The Bauchi State House of Assembly Members have expressed worry over the proliferation of illegal Colleges of Education who award National Certificate of Education (NCE) to unsuspecting indigenes in the state.
These institutions, the Members said, were established as profit making ventures pointing out that some of them use government structures, operate under trees or uncompleted buildings, with no enough personnel, auditorium, lecture theatres.
They therefore said that “it is a mockery of the education system in the state.”
The Member representing Hardawa Constituency, Hon. Babayo Muhammad,
who moved a motion on the floor of the Assembly during plenary on the matter on Tuesday, called on the Bauchi State Government to immediately regulate the “incessant proliferation of illegal” private NCE awarding institutions in the state so as to provide quality education to the people.
Hon. Muhammad while leading debate on the motion, explained that the proliferation of NCE awarding institutions in Bauchi State has gotten out of hands pointing out that presently, there are 62 NCE awarding institutions in the State.
“Four are public institutions owned by the State Government while 58 are private institutions established by businessmen as profit making ventures. Out of the 58, only 13 are duly registered with the NCCE.
“The establishment of some of these institutions is illegal because they have no permission from the government or relevant regulatory bodies in the country. They disregard standards in open deviance and candidates who seek admission in these institutions are exploited because of their ignorance,” he said.
He therefore prayed that the government through the Ministry of Education be mandated to liase with the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to stop these unauthorized higher institutions from existing in Bauchi State.
Muhammad further prayed that the state government should ban all illegal private higher institutions from using it’s structures across the State.
He also prayed that the existing approved tertiary institutions by the State government and private proprietors be expanded to be able to meet the increasing demands of applicants for admissions.
He further prayed that the House Committee on Education be mandated to inspect the illegal higher institutions across the State with a view to ascertaining their true position and to report back to the Honourable House for further legislation.
Hon. Jamilu Umaru Dahiru representing Bauchi Central Constituency, commended the mover of the motion for his foresight.
He stated that the matter needs thorough and serious investigation because things are going abnormally in the State as many illegal institutions are emerging.
Another lawmaker, Hon. Tukur Ibrahim representing Toro/Jama’a Constituency, observed that it was not only NCE awarding institutions that are rampant, but even primary and secondary schools are emerging rampantly.
He added that “the institutions need to be controlled in order not to pollute our children, without acquiring good knowledge.”
The Majority Leader of the House, Hon Tijjani Mohammad Aliyu, commended the mover, and attributed the problem to the attitude of the supervisory and regulatory bodies who are not doing their work.
He said: “You will find a small room serving as a higher institution and they will affiliate with big institutions. As long as that institution is affiliated to that institution, it become part of it.
“No any sensible person will tolerate that kind of thing. We have over over 60 mushroom colleges of education. This is very alarming and disturbing because they are opened to make money, they don’t care about the standard.
“As a matter of urgency the State Government should do the needful and close these institutions with immediate effect.”
Minority Leader, Hon Bakoji Bobbo, who said that the bottom line is quality control, suggested that the joint committees of health and education should be mandated to have an interface with the ministries of Health and Education on the matter.
The Speaker of the House, Abubakar Suleiman, in his contribution, said that the motion which is important deserves the support of the Honourable House so as to sanitize education in the State.
He added that the mover of the motion being the Chairman of the House Committee on Education must have worked assiduously before coming out with motion and recommendations.
Suleiman urged the members to study the prayers of the Bill and support.
The House after adopting the prayers of the motion, directed the joint committees of health and education to liase with the ministries and present a report to the House in four weeks.