Kano State Government has embarked on public private partnership to renovate schools across the state.
The Managing Director, Kano State Urban Planning Development Authority (KNUPDA) Mallam Suleiman Ahmed Abdulwahab disclosed this during an inspection of some of the schools undergoing renovation.
He said the initiative was to ensure that teaching and learning are conducted in a conducive atmosphere.
The managing director explained that under the program, twenty one public schools have been selected as pilot scheme within the metropolis as a measure to address insecurity facing most of the schools due to activities of miscreants and source of income for the schools management for maintenance.
“The renovation being carried out across the selected schools is a public private partnership (PPP) with the construction of shops by the perimeter fence of the schools which will be providing fund for the schools management and in which the ownership of the shops will eventually be the same school after a period of time by the investors who are embarking on the construction,’’
“Similarly, the security threat of miscreants hibernating around the schools posing dangers to the teachers and students would be address with the securities that would be provided by the shop owners.’’
“You see this initiative was sequel to complaints by the school authorities over the past six years on the security challenges of miscreants hibernating in most of the schools , poor infrastructures due to paucity of fund for maintenance and increasing population of students.’’
He explained that the complaints were from the School Based Management Committee (SBMC) and the Parent Teachers Associations.
The managing director said as part of the mandate of the agency and collaboration with the state Ministry of Education, the State Assembly was approached for amendment of law guiding activities around schools to give room for the renovation and remodeling.
He added that with the support of the lawmakers and the state governor, the law was amended and this gave opportunity to schools to evolve ways for generating funds for their maintenance so as to improve conditions for teaching and learning.
Mallam Suleiman Ahmed Abdulwahab said during the inspection, more than 85 percent of the renovations have been completed in the first phase of the exercise on eight secondary schools and one primary school.
Reports available reveals that the pilot schools in the first phase of the renovation include, G.S.S Stadium, G.G.S.S Dabo, G.S.S Kwakwachi, G.S.S Bachirawa, G.S.S Kofar Nasarawa, G.G.S.S Dukawuya, G.S.S Goron Dutse, G.G.S.S Chiranchi and Chiranchi Primary School
Speaking to journalists during the inspection, Chairman of SBMC, G.S.S Stadium, Alhaji Muhammad Lawal said for over six years they have written several letters of complaints to the state government on, over stressed infrastructures and insecurity with activities of miscreants who have been stealing and vandalizing property of the school.
” Succor came our way with the initiative of the public private partnership that has led to construction of one block of 7 classrooms, construction of perimeter fence , construction of one block of 15 toilets, renovation of laboratory and repair of leaking roof in some classrooms” Muhammad noted.
He noted that all these have been completed except for the renovation of the laboratory which is still in progress.
Also, Principal Director, G.G.S.S. Dabo, (France road) , Hajia Binta AbdulHamid, said the major challenges facing the school is security threat by drug addicts and miscreants from Sabo Gari.
“Honestly since the school does not have wall fence it makes it easy for the miscreants to walk into the school to steal and destroy our property. At times they break into offices through the ceiling.
“Hence in 2015 we had joint meeting of PTAs of schools in Sabon Gari and laid our complaints to the governor.’’
Abdullahi Jalaluddeen