The Kano State Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) has distanced itself from the ongoing building of Cornershops on secondary schools’ land in the state.
The PTA Chairman, Sani Dan-Hassan, made this known in an interview with journalists in Kano on Wednesday.
Dan-Hassan said the PTA was neither consulted nor informed on the purported ceding of the schools to erect shops in any of the affected secondary schools.
“As far as PTA is concerned we don’t know anything about me Cornershop building. Nobody has contacted us, informed us, or called us for a meeting on that.
“All I know is it’s not good to build a Cornershop in school. We have experienced something in the past with shops built close to Schools. Some shops were selling hard drugs, others play music while students were taking lessons. We are not in support of that,” he said.
Dan-Hassan added that as the first educational stakeholder in Kano State, the association’s local chapters were not formally informed of the development.
“Government can decide to do whatever they want to do. We are an NGO we can’t stop them from doing what they want to do. We don’t have a hand in it.
“That’s my chairman for Kano Municipal. I just discussed with him. He said he doesn’t know anything about it.
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“PTA is the number one stakeholder in education. They are supposed to ask us and seek our advice. Nobody has asked for our advice either myself, my members, or local government chapters.”
The Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA) had earlier said PTA and School Based Management Committee (SBMC) made the suggestion to the Kano State Government to rescue the affected schools from their dilapidated conditions.
However, the two groups denied having knowledge of the project.
The PTA chairman further averred that they would have advised the government how to get the schools renovated had the Government approached them suggestions.
He said: “Does that mean Government has no money to renovate or erect classes in the schools? They should have called contacted us, call the parents for a meeting. Then we decide what to do not to build Cornershops. There are many things to do. If they had told us, we will have discussed with parents, philanthropists to help the schools. We are not supporting. They should have talked to us, call a meeting.”
He called on the state government to halt such project as it is not in the interest of Kano State and education.
“If truly this is happening, we call on the government to stop it and find alternative means of renovating the schools. We can come together and provide alternative sources to support the schools.
“As I’m talking to you now, I am the national vice Chairman and Kano State Chairman of the PTA. So I should know if PTA is involved,” he noted.
Dan-Hassan said issues concerning education, healthcare, and security should not be politicized in the interest of the state.
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