Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum on Tuesday appealed to 84 principals of government secondary schools in the state, not to hide true situations of schools.
Zulum made this plea while speaking to the principals at the multipurpose hall of the Government House in Maiduguri, the state capital.
He said: “I have been to several schools, and each time I asked, some of you principals found it difficult to explain the problems in your schools. I was later made to understand that if you tell me truth, you would either be transferred somewhere you wouldn’t like, or somehow be victimized. Please I beg all of you to tell me the truth.
“Let us tell ourselves the truth so that we can improve Borno’s public education from where we are now. I am pleading with you to please be upright, be honest. Education is the bedrock of any development.
“Without functional educational system, we shall continue to experience this Boko Haram insurgency in Borno.
“Look at the kind of students we are graduating from our public secondary schools, most of them do not qualify for admission into universities, even those who get admitted find it very difficult to cope. I assure you that telling me the truth will not lead to anything happening to any of you by God’s grace.”
Following his appeal, Zulum asked the principals to write down all the problems affecting their schools for submission to him within one week.
Furthermore, the governor directed the immediate reintroduction of the common entrance examination for primary six students.