By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The second phase of Back-To-School Campaign, an initiative of the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Global Partnership for Education, GPE, and the Federal Ministry of Education, FME, for Out-Of-School Children, OOSC, in Benue state
has been flagged-off in Logo and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of the State.

In his address at the event in Katsina-Ala, shortly before flagging off the programme, the Commissioner of Education, Dr. Saawuan Tarnongu, represented by UNICEF Assistant Desk Officer of the Ministry, Dr. Clement Dyege, expressed gratitude to the Development Partners, for their huge investment in the Education sector in the State.

He urged the Executive Chairman, State Universal Education Board, SUBEB, Comrade Joseph Utse, to ensure close monitoring of the pupils enrolled for retention and for the completion and transition rates to be attained.

The Commissioner charged all Community Stakeholders to ensure that the identified OOSC were returned to school in the next academic session.

Also, the SUBEB Executive Chairman, Comrade Utse, represented by the Director, Social Mobilization of the Board, Mr. Emmanuel Ejeh, described as alarming, a report by UNICEF that Nigeria had a total number of 18.5 million OOSC. He lamented that the group (OOSC) represents children who had been denied access to Basic Education opportunities or had dropped out of school or refused schooling.

Comrade Utse who donated over 500 assorted textbooks and story books to OOSC in Logo and Katsina-Ala urged all stakeholders to join in the back to school campaign to change the narrative.

Earlier in a Welcome address, the Education Secretary of Katsina-Ala Local Government, Mr. Jonathan Chagba noted that “the panacea to the OOSC phenomenon must come from the stakeholders who are the Chiefs, Mothers and community volunteers.”

While soliciting the stakeholders’ sustained support, the Education Secretary disclosed that the second phase of the Back-To-School campaign in Logo and Katsina-Ala was made possible by the success recorded in the 1st phase of the programme.

Also speaking, Kindred Head, Mue Ter Ichongo 1 in Katsina-Ala, Zaki Tivlumun Ubugh, said his council had sensitized youths to shun social vices that could lead to high cases of school drop out.

According to bim announcements were also made in worship centres for all children to be enrolled in school having seen the need for education as he was also a student himself. He identified some Tiv illustrious sons like Akirga Sai who through education, left  remarkable footprints in the community.

Zaki Ubugh stated that Community Stakeholders were trained prior to the inauguration of the programme to be able to identify and register the OOSC from which 20 were selected for registration at the flag-off ceremony.

In her remarks, leader of the mothers forum, Hajia Binta Hassan, who also received training before the flag off appreciated the development partners for coming to Katsina Ala and Logo for the second phase and also giving the mothers a chance to participate fully in identifying the OOSC.

According to her, the forum looked forward to more partnership from UNICEF, GPE and other development partners.

The highpoint of the event was traditional dance performed by pupils of the host school, LGEA Central, Katsina-Ala and distribution of books to the children.