Retired Director, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), who is currently the proprietor, Yagongwo College of Nursing Sciences (YCNS), Kuje, the FCT, Dr Adamu Jatau Noma is a teacher to the core, having got Teachers Grade 2, National Certificate of Education (NCE), Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Master’s Degree in Education and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D), also in Education.
In this interview with Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka in his office, he urges National Assembly (N/Ass), to make a legislation for the government to either establish Education and Health Bank, or similar financial institution, where proprietors will be assessing loans, at little or no interest, toward education and health sectors’ development. Although he said the government is trying in the education sector, but was quick to add that their best isn’t enough to meet the requirements of the sectors.
Excerpts.
Qtn: Being the proprietor here shows you are retired and not tired, what is life like, after retirement?
Ans: As a teacher and a civil servant, for me, life after retirement isn’t easy in Nigeria, because after retirement as a director, it took me about two years to assess my pension. It is quite unfortunate that when I started to receive the pension, it couldn’t buy a basket of tomatoes.
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Qtn: Were you not paid gratuities, before the pensions?
Ans: No! The two came together, after two years. Within that period, I suffered, because in the first month, I wasn’t paid and I looked at the sky, and had to adjust to two trianglular meals in a day, instead of three. So a typical Nigerian should learn to eat two trianglular meals a day, instead of three; just a good breakfast and good lunch/supper, that is enough. It is a matter of doing it for about two weeks, then it will master you. Due to the way things are now, a typical Nigerian should learn how to adjust, because it isn’t affordable.
Qtn: After retirement, you were able to establish a school of this size, with staff and students, which few retirees hardly do, what is the magic?
Ans: Well, you can see that this isn’t a conventional school, where I should preside over. When I retired, I had the knowledge of what to do, but the problem was how to get the funds. So we had to mobilize the community leaders here and they gave me all the supports; we sat down and came up with this idea. For the funds, the community leaders mobilized the people who raised the funds. We got money from individuals and banks, that is how we came up with this project.
Qtn: In Nigeria, private schools’ fees, among others are beyond the poor’s reach, and people like you can make the fees affordable, what efforts are making for the poor’s children to benefit herefrom and grow like you?
Ans: Well, I thank God that we have about 80 monthly paid employees here. Establishing this school and creating employments, I think that it is an assistance to the: government, society, Nigerians and Nigeria, by ensuring that people are not only gainfully employed here, but also that our children are receiving quality education here. That is our own contribution to the society, and of course you know we are training basic nurses and midwifery here and by the time they finish, you will see our contributions to the medical manpower in Nigeria.
Qtn: As a teacher to the core, you are in a position to assess Nigeria government’s performance in the sector?
Ans: To me, the government may be trying, but the effort of the government isn’t enough, because there are so many lapses. I think that in most cases, we give lip services to education and that isn’t good. We should spend enough money in education, to make things work.
The government should improve in the services in education. The funding for education isn’t enough; the government should increase it. To fund education isn’t easy, but at the same time, it is, if funds are properly managed, utilized and targeted to the specific process (?). If the government can do that, it will go a long way. It is just like introducing feeding and taking healthcare of the children in the school, which can only be done, if it is localized. If you want the school children to be feeding in the school, you should contract it out locally. You know that people are very selfish. If you contract it out to someone in Sokoto, Lagos or even in Akwa Ibom for a school in Abuja, it won’t work.
Qtn: Senators were elected for good legislations, in which area would you want them to come up in the education sector?
Ans: Let the National Assembly come up with a law that will assist those who want to establish hospitals and schools. Let them make a legislation which will ensure establishment of either financial institutions or any means of easy assessment of funds for the establishment of hospitals or schools at nothing or little interest. For instance, when we were building this place, for the fact that it was an ongoing project, the banks we approached, among them was one of the recognized and first generation banks, refused us loan, just N10 millon. We were helped by a microfinance bank, and of course, you know what a loan from microfinance bank is. When the banks that refused us loan came here, the questions were, will you start to pay? How do we recover our money? They dribbled us and they are our bankers.
Qtn: Do you have enough students, for this gigantic building to be seen as a school?
Ans: Having started last year, we are growing and you have seen our students. We have hostels for male and also for female students and we have those who live outside the schools; those who come from near and far. So the students are increasing regularly.
Qtn: Education should be everybody’s business, in which area would you want the parent to come in?
Ans: The parents have already come in. It is the government that isn’t doing enough, because, take the primary school for instance, it is the parent that wakes up in the morning, feeds the child, gives the child a bathe, dresses the child and sends the child to the school. I don’t think that the parents are not trying.
It is the government that should take up from there, by providing the children with conducive environment, such as class rooms, desks, teachers, instructional materials, among others. So the parents are effectively playing their roles very well.
Qtn: What is your view on the impasse between the organized labour and the government?
Ans: We are strongly behind what the organized labour is doing, because any young man who is yet to marry, that is earning less than N150 thousand now, per month, won’t survive. You have to pay for house rent, buy food, clothe yourself, transport yourself to your working place, take care of your siblings, among others. It isn’t easy.
Qtn: Does that mean that you are willing to pay whatever they agree as the new wage?
Ans: No! This one is a private institution and we are willing to pay people a reasonable amount they can be comfortable with and we are already doing that. We pay people a reasonable amount of money here, that will make them happy, so as for them to put in their bests. As our sources of income increases, so shall shall increase their emoluments too. We shan’t continue where we started. We shall continue to increase their salaries, as the school progresses.
