Plateau Govt. considers interim measures for education of IDPs

From Ron Jacob, Jos.
The Plateau Government has said it is considering arranging interim measures for the education of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), especially school children.
This move stems from the fact that virtually all the primary and secondary school pupils and students were dislodged by the attack on 11 villages in Gashish District of Barkin Ladi LGA would miss their promotion examinations.
Prof Mathew Sule, Executive Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), made the pronouncement on Wednesday while on a visit to one of the 31 IDPs Camps, COCIN Kassa.
The IDPs had expressed their worries over their academics pursuits, especially missing lectures and promotion examinations into the next classes.
“We are aware of your plights and we are so worried and concerned for you; we are considering undertaking some interim measures that could enable us bridge the gap for all school pupils and students so they don’t miss a lot.
“It’s all to enable you to continue with your studies while here at the IDPs camps because we are fully aware your studies have seriously been disrupted especially your promotion exams.
“In the end, we can arrange some make up examinations for you pending when things will be normalised for you to return to your various villages and schools,’’ he assured.
Sule appealed to the IDPs to exercise some patience and understanding with the state government, which he said was doing all it could to make their temporary stay convenient.
One of the school age IDPs, Dareng, said since they came to the IDPs camp, the issue of education was as good as gone with the crisis that sacked them from their homes and schools.
“We need government intervention to help us keep on with our studies; our worry is that we can’t be part of this 3rd Term promotion examination and wonder how we shall be promoted’’, Dareng lamented.
Meanwhile, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) on Wednesday donated a 56-Seater Bus to Federal College of Education (FCE), Pankshin, Plateau.
Everday.ng reports in Jos that the Bus, which was assembled in Nigeria by Nigeria Ashok Leyland Firm, was presented to the college by Onwudinjor Brothers Ltd, suppliers to TETfund.
Presenting the bus to the College, Engineer Ifeanyi Noruka, representative of Onwudinjor Brothers, said the brand new bus was a 2018 Model.
“When we won the TETfund contract to supply the bus to your college, we considered  Leyland products and ordered for the bus, the latest version of the company.
Responding, Dr Amos Cirfat, the College Provost, expressed gratitude to the TETfund and the Federal Government for the good gesture, which he said would go a long way to improve the transportation system of the college.
Cirfat noted that the new 56-Seater bus would add to the college fleet of vehicles and would assist in making excursion and other logistics easy.