Residents of Fulani communities in Tafawa Balewa local government area of Bauchi State have called on the state government to salvage their children’s futures by investing in their education.
The Fulanis in Bununu ward of the local council said about 150 children may abandoned education if government fails to build a conducive learning environment for them.
The Hardon [traditional title for Fulanis] Sabon Garin Yisin, Malam Luje Mohammed revealed this during an advocacy visit to the community by a not-for-profit group, Women Development Initiative for self sustainance (WODASS).
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He said the one block of classroom built with mud through self-help was grossly inadequate and may not meet the need of a large population of children of the nomads who nurse ambition for both modern Islamic and western education.
The Hardo said the lone building now serves the interest of primary four-five classes while other pupils take lessons in the open.
The monarch who took the visiting team round the school site, complained about lack of teaching aids, portable water and teaching materials. He revealed that the community relies on indigenous graduates serving as volunteer teachers.
He called on the Nomadic Education agency to come to their aid by correcting the wrong perception that Fulani people dislike all forms of education, assuring that if a permanent structure is built, parents who have withdrawn their children will be encouraged to bring them back.
Also speaking, the Hardon Rugan Gambo in Bula ward, Malam Gambo Abdullahi said a two kilometre distance between his community and Jambil was stressful for children of the area and therefore urged the local council and SUBEB to set up a school at Rugan Gambo.
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In a remark, the spokesman of the Bauchi-based group, WODASS, Magaji Barde said the visit was informed by the need to scale up best hygiene practices in order to check the spread of water borne diseases. He implored Fulanis in the axis to extend their passion for education to embrace best personal and environmental hygiene behaviour that would add value to their social well-being.
Barde commented Fulani residents of both communities for their self-help effort assuring that their request would be forwarded to the appropriate government agencies for necessary action
