NAPPS Taraba Celebrates 17th anniversary, awards personalities
Jethro Yerga, Jalingo
It was truly a seemingly endless and exciting moment at the Jalingo Trade Fair Complex, Taraba State, North Eastern Nigeria recently.
Private schools across Taraba state under the umbrella of National Association of Proprietors of private schools (NAPPS), gathered again at the complex to join other states of the country to commemorate the 2022 NAPPS Day in Taraba State.
The two day-event, commenced the previous day with a mega rally, where members of the association moved round strategic areas in Jalingo, the Taraba State Capital City, to sensitize people on educational related issues.
This day, Private Schools within Jalingo metropolis and outside the city had come together for a match pass and a tumultuous celebration of 17th years of struggle for quality education in Nigeria.
The event also offered Taraba pupils and students, an opportunity to display their talents through entertaining dance steps, drama, playlet and other forms of performances as their teachers, parents and guests watched with great sense of admiration.
Addressing guests at the occasion, the Chairperson NAPPS, Taraba State, Rev. Mrs Mercy Kenneth, stated that NAPPS had grown to become a very critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s educational system and had given all Private and faith-based schools recognition, respect and a voice that could no longer be ignored both within and beyond educational sector in the country.
The Chairperson noted that the association had over the years, contributed alot through advocating for supports in diverse ways to promote development of the private subsector in education to supplement the government’s efforts in increasing access to quality and affordable education aside complementing its efforts towards reducing unemployment rate and out of school children.
She commended the Executive Governor of Taraba State Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku and the Commissioner, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Johanes Jigem for all their relentless efforts and kind gestures towards sustaining quality education in the state.
While highlighting some of the successes her administration had recorded so far, Rev. Mrs Mercy Kenneth said her administration had embarked on awareness campaign across the sixteen Local Governments Areas in Taraba State to fulfill the vision of the noble association.
“We have also taken time to visit some critical stakeholders in the state to inform them of our corporate existence and the significant roles private schools are playing in the society.
“We have secured a temporal Head office for the association and have been doing our best to ensure that the welfare package of our members are always met. As am talking to you, many members had benefited from the NAPPS welfare scheme in different aspects”. She added.
The Chairperson however, identified lack of found to commence the construction of NAPPS Secretariat in Jalingo, mobility, multiple taxation on private schools and unecesarily transfer of pupils and students without transfer Certificate as some of the major issues that had been hampering the smooth running of activities of the association.
She called on the state government to address the issue of multiple taxation on private schools in the state even as she solicited support from the government and spirited individuals to enable the association complete the building project at its permanent site.
In his speech, the Commissioner, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Johanes Jigem assured NAPPS, Taraba State that the state government would meet with Board of Internal Revenue, Local Government heads and the Ministry of Education to see how they would tackle the cry of private schools in the state over multiple to taxations.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Fred Taki Zaku, the Commissioner noted that Government of Taraba State under the leadership of His Excellency Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku Ishaku would continue to make frantic efforts towards sustaining quality, accessible and affordable education in the state.
He noted that the Government had employed about 2000 teachers apart from releasing so much resources in educational sector to renovate and build structures in schools to enable comfortable learning environment for pupils and students.
“We will continue to building a strong partnership with private schools to help tackle the situation where they were always neglected in the scheme of things in the state. We will continue to support them as much as we can and also carry them along to ensure that quality, accessible and affordable education is assured in the state”. He added.
In a paper presentation, the guest speaker Prof. Abdulahi Yusuf applauded private schools for the various efforts they had made since the days of Missionary Schools up till today, towards maintaining quality education in Nigeria.
He stated that through the efforts of Private Schools, so many youth were gainfully employed and more of out- of- school children are now enrolled in schools. He encouraged governments at all levels to invest reasonably in education and support private institutions in order to sustain quality education in Nigeria.
Earlier in a goodwill message, the Chairman, launching of transfer certificate, Mr. Mosemboh Danlami Shamaki, advised school proprietors to always create conducive atmosphere in schools to enable effective learning.
He advocated for Provision of human and material resources, good Water supply system and provision of good incentive for hard working staff among many other, as sure ways through which schools could effectively realize the targeted goal of quality education for the students in the state.
Meanwhile, the event which was anchored on a theme “Changing role of Private Schools in Providing Safe learning environment,” witnessed the officially launching of transfer certificate to help tackle the ugly trend of illegal transfer of pupils and students to other institutions.
There was also presentation of awards to distinguish personalities including, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Fred Taki Zaku, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ambimbola Shokoya and the Chairman, Taraba State Universal Basic Education Board (TSUBEB), Hon. Agbaizo Yakubu among many other personalities.
