Reactions trail Gov. Zulum's scholarship to Borno boy in private school

BY ABDULAZIZ BUBA, JULY 19, 2022, 6:08 PM

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum’s scholarship to a 13-year-old Maiduguri boy which took the form of his transfer from a public to private school, was greeted with some scrutiny.

The scholarship was on account of the boy’s genius, after a piece of his work went viral in the media some months ago.

The boy imitated the Customs Flyover built by the governor, using mud, in the premises of their house in Gwange community.

When the piece made it to the public domain, many called on the governor and philanthropists to grant the boy a scholarship in order to harness his talent.

The governor heeded the call and a N5 million grant was announced yesterday, after he was already enrolled to Golden Olives, a private school.

The public grouse was informed by the boy’s transfer to a private school, from his present school, Gwange Primary School.

Reactions

Mrwan Brnawi, who posted on his Facebook, said ‘thank you sir, that’s what we need support and motivation, we have more and we need to change our reality, we have more than this, kudos.’

Zeenat Kitchener also said ‘Allahu Akbar, thanks so much your excellency for this kind gesture, we truly appreciate. May Allah reward you with Aljanatul Firdaus, Ameen.'

Dickson Obriko who is from faraway Delta State hailed the governor for the intervention and prayed for more blessings to the governor.

‘This is the true definition of talent hunt, may God continue to bless the people’s governor, even from far away Delta State I can feel the effects of your governance, that’s why I was so happy when you choose to serve your people as governor rather being a VP,’ he posted.

However, others looked at the case differently.

Muhammad Ibrahim said ‘I am afraid the governor has shot himself point blank, failed and priority misplaced. They built multi-billion-naira public-schools all over the city and have made too much publicity in opening and commissioning them.

‘Why not send him to those schools since it belongs to the government and save the treasury money. These schools that they built supposed to be top standard.

‘This act alone ladies and gentlemen of the group show us that the administration doesn’t have faith in its own public schools so as a result they sent him to the expensive private school. I am disappointed.

‘That means the public schools should be closed since even the administration doesn’t have hope and faiths in its education system and the facilities they built. Who would now be encouraged to send his child to public school? I therefore suggest they close them and save the tax payers money,’ he posted.

Abdulrahman Mulima while reacting also said Zulum’s enrollment of the child into private school is giving a bad image that basic education in the state is in poor condition.

Ali Tjjani Gado, a human right activist at National Human Right Commission, according to his Facebook profile, said ‘enrolling the boy into a private school is giving a bad image that Borno State Government in poor condition, the N5million paid by Zulum will pay 50 teachers in public school.’

Ibrahim Kachallah, on his part, also said ‘funding a public-school student to private school, wow this shows clear indication that the Borno State public schools have been totally collapsed, that’s why I see most of the people commenting to this post are not Borno indigenes.'

Hayatu Ango G. who is also reacting to the development questioned the decision, saying ‘it’s a shame on the governor [intervention] to send the boy to private school. How about the public schools which is under his watch? Ask him why can’t he support the public schools to attain such standard. How much is he paying the teachers in the primary schools?'