The Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, has urged the Northern Governors to emulate former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, and return mission schools to their owners as that is the only way to restore the glory of the education sector.
The cleric spoke in Abuja during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), represented by Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno State, with the ProFuturo Foundation, an educational training centre which aims to improve the lives of children across the world.
Most Rev. Ndagoso advised those that govern not to dwell on the intentions that led the military to take over schools, but to seek solutions to the problems created by that take-over by seeking what should be done. Referring to the Peter Obi era, he said that by Obi’s return of schools to their owners when he was the Governor and all the support he offered them changed the face of education in Anambra State. The Archbishop urged not just the Governors of the North, but all State Governors to emulate Peter Obi’s template.
Speaking at the event, Governor Shettima described the partnership with ProFuturo as a welcome development and a right step in the right direction to change the society for the better. He described education as “absolutely fundamental to repositioning the northern part of Nigeria.”
The Governor thanked the foundation for its tenacity, ambition and relentless effort towards seeing that its dream of ensuring the education of children comes true. He also commended the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, for anchoring the programme, which he described as a welcome development that would ensure communal harmony and co-existence in the 19 northern states.
In his remarks, Most Rev. Kukah called for concerted efforts to improve the lives of northern youths, saying: “It doesn’t matter whether you are a Muslim or Christian, educated or uneducated; the whole world does not treat us in isolation.”
Bishop Kukah disclosed that when the ProFuturo met with the Pope on the need for charity works across the world, “the Holy Father (Pope) said to him, ‘my concern is the children on the street’.” Kukah appealed to the Governors to ensure that the project intended to provide education to northern children becomes successful.
