Newly appointed Chairman Governing Board of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has vowed to revamp basic education in Nigeria during his tenure.
Al-Makura, a former Governor of Nasarawa State who made the pledge when he officially assumed duties at the Headquarters of the Commission in Abuja, promised to use his wealth of experience and as a crusader for universal and qualitative education at levels, to transform basic education in the country.
He said: “I cherish this four year term appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because I am a Trained Teacher, with grade II certificate, National Certificate of Education and Bachelor’s Degree in Education, social studies.
“As a trained Teacher, I chose to teach during my mandatory National Youth Service Corps for a year before I ventured into civil service, private venture and politics respectively.
“When I was Governor of Nasarawa State, I supported State Universal Basic Education, (SUBEB) and while in the senate, I was a member of UBEC committee, so I am a stakeholder of universal and qualitative education at different levels.”
While appreciating and commending President Tinubu for his appointment and for appointing Aisha Garba as the Executive Secretary of UBEC respectively, Al-Makura recalled that he first met her when he was a Governor and Garba was working with the World Bank and had a project in Nasarawa.
Commending the efforts of the Executive Secretary so far since assumption of office in January this year, the Ex-Governor of Nasarawa State, he noted that Aisha Garba requires all the necessary support to succeed in actualisation of the mandate of the Commission.
“I commend her efforts, but she needs support to continue to succeed in developing basic education in particular and further education in general.”
The UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba said, “I am happy to have my mentor and an educationist as chairman, I was with the World Bank when he was Governor, when I was appointed, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed me to go and fix UBEC, I am thankful to the President for appointing an experience education stakeholder as Chairman.
“The chairman and I have pledged to leave a lasting legacy long after we leave the Commission,” Aisha Garba stated.
