By Suleiman Yakubu

As part of efforts to make teachers at the basic level of education in Niger State comfortable in their jobs, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has initiated a scheme that will enable teachers under the board to own a house or a means of transportation without touching their monthly salary.
The Chairman of the Board, Mallam Muhammad Baba Ibrahim, made this disclosure during a meeting between the management of the board and Education Secretaries, Personnel Managers, and Chairmen of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) from the 25 local government areas of the state, held at the conference hall of the board on Monday.
He said the board was leveraging the special purpose vehicle (SPV) of the present administration in the state to engage the teachers in a farming scheme that will earn them an additional source of income that will be used as a mortgage to enable them to own their personal houses or means of transportation.
The chairman observed that teachers were the most significant variables in education and that their welfare and comfort were very important to the board in order to improve teaching and learning at the basic level, hence the initiative to make them feel comfortable while discharging their duties.
He explained that we can have the best learning facilities, but without the teacher being comfortable teaching, it would be meaningless, as teaching and learning would be ineffective. He added that with a more focused and comfortable teacher, teaching and learning can take place even under a tree, and there will be assimilation.
"Basically, this programme is an initiative of the board to cater for the welfare of teachers. 
"The programme is intended to create additional revenue sources for the teachers so that they can own their own house and have a means of transportation," the SUBEB chairman said.
He added that the board was leveraging the state government's programme on agriculture to create an avenue for teachers to have an additional stream of revenue that will make it possible for them to have their own houses and a means of transportation.
He observed that the basic level was the foundation of education, and if the foundation was properly laid, the other levels would be easy to build, and that it would guarantee the future of the state.
The chairman also explained that a portal will be open where interested teachers will apply, and those who are successful will be provided with farm inputs and extension services. After the harvest, the teacher will pay back the cost of the inputs from the proceeds, and what is left will be put into the mortgage.
While urging the teachers to embrace the programme, he equally warned that any teacher found using schoolchildren for farm labour will not only be suspended from the programme but also arrested and prosecuted.
In his remarks, the state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Adamu Akayago, lauded the initiative, saying it was a welcome development that the union was in full support of.
He also urged members of the union to key into the programme and participate actively, advising them to utilise whatever inputs would be given to them for the purpose they were meant for and not to sell them.  

By Suleiman Yakubu

The Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers), has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the cholera outbreak in the country.
He made the call in a statement on Saturday, stressing the need for coordinated joint stakeholder action against the outbreak to nip it in the bud.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had earlier announced the outbreak of the water-borne disease in 30 states of the federation.
Chinda, therefore, stated that “the outbreak highlights critical deficiencies in public health safety measures and underscores the need for immediate action.”
According to him, a lack of adequate investment in public and personal health education has contributed significantly to the spread of preventable diseases.
He added that “as schools across the nation resume from the recent public holidays, there is an urgent need to declare a state of emergency on cholera.
“This declaration will enable coordinated efforts at all levels of government to deploy resources swiftly towards containing the outbreak, improving sanitation infrastructure, and intensifying public health education campaigns.
“Government at all levels must prioritise the allocation of resources towards improving water and sanitation facilities in affected communities.
“We call upon stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental organisations, community leaders, and individuals, to collaborate in combating this outbreak.”
The lawmaker said that investment in robust public health education programmes is crucial to raising awareness about hygiene practices that can prevent the spread of water-borne diseases, including cholera.
He urged the public to remain calm, vigilant, practice good hygiene, and seek prompt medical attention if experiencing symptoms associated with cholera.