By Mansoor M. Haroon
Background:
Crescent University Abeokuta owed Zamfara state government over two hundred Million due to Students indigenes sponsored to the school by former Governor Abdul’aziz Yari while in office in 2012, Crescent University awarded former Governor Yari with the Doctorate honoury award during their convocation along with some prominent Nigerians, as a result, Yari promised to send some indigenes of the state as a Scholarship students, already during the tenure of HE. Mamuda, he sponsored some students to Key Science Academy, Abuja, a secondary school, with them aim of sponsoring them to study medicine abroad to fill the vacant of Doctors in Yariman Bakura specialist Hospital, instead of Yari to complement the policy of Mamuda by sending such students to study Medicine abroad, Yari sent them to Crescent University Abeokuta, with no proper plans and guidance on the courses that they will study in order to be relevant in Zamfara state, as a private University, it’s not allowed to cook, but Yari promised a 18k food allowances to each students, but such allowances was only paid in the first year, both allowances and school fees didn’t paid to the students as well as the school management, students became stranded due to the expensive life style of the University, their parents was forced into unscheduled deal, the school management was affected adversely, they have to send Zamfara students back to home, the students spent almost a year at home while the school lectures were in progress, the then permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Aminu Aliyu and former deputy Governor Wakkala Muhmmad Liman both intervened but the payment remain unsettled, the students begged the school proprietor to allow them to return to school as engagement with the state government was in progress, but after several pleading by the students, the school management allowed the students to comeback with the promise that their outstanding balance must be paid before first set mobilized to NYSC, but all the efforts remain in vain, the school management has no choice but to mobilize the first and second batch of Zamfara students, but held the last batch that if their balance is not paid, they will not mobilized them, as I am writing now, they spent more than five years at home without knowing their faith, several engagements reach out Yari regarding the issue, but he remain heedless.
The status of Education in Zamfara state during Yari’s administration.
Recalled that during Yari’s administration, Education both UBE and higher education received no attention, worse times of WAEC performance and enrollment to higher institution, many Educationist advocate for state owned University but he said Zamfara doesn’t need University now, even when we got Federal University Gusau he contributed nothing, he even wanted to relocate s it to Mafara, it was then Yuguda when he was a Minister that insisted it must be built in Gusau, Yari failed to even provide and paid for the field, he contributed nothing to the existence of the FUG, that is why he initiate state University in his hometown Mafara, instead of contributing to the standard of FUG, talking about Universal Basic Education (UBE), how Yari embezzled the fund that led to the imprisonment of former Chairman Jangebe, this contributed a serious downfall in Education during his tenure.
Why Yari’s Scholarship initiative now?
Yari desperately want to impose his Political son as Governor of Zamfara state, it’s a plan to gain more influence and dominance in Politics.
It’s my responsibility to share my experience with the good people of Zamfara state regarding the scholarship of Yari and the current scholarship of our stranded students in Cyprus and all, the beginning of the process is always juicy, and beneficiaries like parent and students will never get it now, but I am not hoping any failure, but a wise man always learn from experience, the parents and guardians of the beneficiaries should be ready to take full responsibility of their children, because if the Political Ambition of Yari didn’t fulfill, I doubt the continuity of the initiative, because it’s a seasonal motive.
Words is enough for a wise.
Mansoor M. Haroon writes from Zamfara