Combined convocation of Isa Kaita College of Education, Dutsin-Ma

I feel at home being in the midst of teachers, myself being a professionally trained teacher, the noble profession which I very dearly cherish and am proud to be associated with. I recall with nostalgia the day I attended a similar ceremony at College of education Kafanchan in 1999.

Let me start by congratulating the teeming graduands that have passed out and urge them to be good ambassadors of your College, the State and the nation at large. I also urge you to take advantage of my administration's blueprint to revive and transform the educational system in the State mindful of the potency of education in fostering development and prosperity.

Not long ago, we recruited 7,325 S. power teachers on permanent and pensionable basis many of whom graduated from this College.

As part of our deliberate plan to restructure the tertiary education sub-sector, the Ministry of Higher, Technical and Vocational Education was created with a view to move the sector forward through addressing infrastructural deficits. Indeed, our priority from onset, was on educational development looking at the policies so far in place, including but not limited to the following:-

• Renovation and upgrading of School Infrastructure to enable students have access to modern facilities that enhance learning experience
• Training and retraining of teachers
• Curriculum review and introduction of ICT in the classroom
• Scholarship programmes
• School feeding initiatives
• Proposed construction of three model schools, one each in the three senatorial districts of the State with emphasis on Science courses
• Payment of Scholarship allowance totaling N640,648,546:00k to 48,000 Students of tertiary institutions
• Provision of foreign Scholarship for graduate students to study MBBS, Bio Economy and Art.if,icial intelligence
• Establishment of a multi-million naira E-Library to serve Staff and Students of tertiary institutions
• Payment of N364,842,000:00k to WAEC
• Payment of N271,000:00 for Instructional materials in Primary and Post - Primary Schools
• The release of N112.5 million for medical students allowances, upgrade of residency training allowance for medical doctors and the implementation of new Scholarship funding for medical students
• Computer based training for civil servants
• Construction and rehabilitation of solar powered boreholes and latrines in Schools.

I want to assure my dear citizens that what we have so far done is just the tip of the iceberg. More initiatives would unfold lnshaAllah in the educational sector and other sectors for improvement of the wellbeing of the citizens of Katsina State. lnspite of the competing demands, education would continue to be accorded priority.

It could, however, be seen that all the structural reforms have been carefully crafted in tune with the needs of the modern world and are beneficial to the citizenry. Our admonishment to you at this crucial stage of your lives dear graduands is that you move with the time, be creative, acquire the right skills and try to be self-reliant and potential employers of labour not job seekers.

My administration is committed to the development of Isa Kaita College of Education being the oldest State owned College of Education that has sustainably provided professional teachers that man the Schools at the basic level of Education in the State and beyond. My position as the visitor of the Institution also confers on me the responsibility of ensuring realization of the aims and objectives for which it was established.

We have paid special attention to the needs and aspirations of the College. Staff get paid regularly and are promoted as at when due. Millions of naira are paid to students as scholarship allowances as well as the payment of the sum of N10.2m assistance expended on Staff members on Study Leave. Moreover, my administration has spent millions of naira on the payment of affiliation fees for Undergraduate Programmes to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. At this juncture, I salute the' unwavering commitment and determination of the Council, Management and Staff of the College. Keep it up! We also have no option but to key into the newly introduced dual mode in our Colleges as soon as the supervisory agency gives the nod and we are prepared to give all the required support for the policy to succeed.

In our quest to ensure protection of life and property, apart from the huge expenditure on the larger State Security architecture, the peculiar problems in the College have been addressed through the beefing up of the security personnel in the premises and provision of solar security light poles.

Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate and reaffirm the carefully selected list of fellowship awardees and congratulate them for the honour that is well-deserved. Each and every one of the beneficiaries has contributed immensely in their respective callings and have impacted on the citizens of the State and the nation at large.

Once again, I congratulate the graduands and wish them all the best in their future endeavours

Thank you and may Allah bless you all.