• Mangal, Dangote, govs donate N1.8b
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has explained the N25 billion Yobe State education appeal fund was launched to reposition the sector and avail Yobe children, particularly the indigent ones, the opportunity to go to school.
At the Yobe State Education Fund Raising in Abuja, yesterday, Lawan, an indigene of Yobe, said the situation in his state was good until the insurgents struck and caused incalculable damage.
In the North Eastern state, government used to provide support for education, he explained.
“I didn’t have to pay anything to be in primary school. In fact I was given something. My parents were encouraged to send me to school. In secondary school, we were given uniforms, books, food and everything free. That was when the resources were available to really accommodate those necessities.”
To support the project, business moguls – Dahiru Mangal and Aliko Dangote – as well as the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) donated N1.8 billion.
Mangal, who was the chief launcher, donated N1 billion, while Dangote donated N350 million. The governors donated N350 million, while Tahir Group of Companies donated N100 million.
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, said revitalising education in the state was estimated to gulp N25 billion. He disclosed that his administration had constructed and renovated over 300 schools, established six model schools and seven mega schools across the state.
Assuring the donors that their contributions would be responsibly utilised, Lawan added: “At the end of the day, we will like to see a situation where our standing in the educational chat of Nigeria will be an obvious testimony of this event that we have been able to bring everybody together to support.”
