The Kano State government has vowed to drag proprietors of three private schools to court for threatening the lives of over a hundred innocent students in their custody.
Executive Secretary, State Private and Voluntary Schools Management Board, Baba Abubakar Umar, issued the legal action threat after uncovering near-collapse buildings and unhealthy environments in private schools in the state.
During an unscheduled inspection of the schools, monitored by journalists, the inspection team discovered uncompleted structures where students received lessons under leaking concrete classrooms.
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Besides the conspicuous structural cracks, the team also discovered filthy pit latrines and unkempt environments where the proprietors conduct teachings while exposing hundreds of innocent children to health hazards.
The affected schools are Matasa Senior Arabic and Secondary School, Naibawa; Best Alternative Comprehensive College, Sheka; and Ibn-Masud Science College, Kabuga.
Despite the poor condition of the schools, students were seen writing examinations under cracked ceilings and leaking classrooms while inspecting the schools.
Addressing journalists after the inspection, Baba Umar expressed concern that some private schools’ operators would prefer to compromise quality and a conducive learning environment for profit.
He insisted that the government would be decisive in taking necessary actions against all proprietors constituting a threat to the lives of innocent children in the name of doing business.
Although the executive secretary reminded that the era of closing schools is no longer fashionable, he noted that defaulting schools would henceforth be charged to court to face the wrath of their actions.
Baba Umar added that arrangements have been concluded with the State Ministry of Justice and State Anti-Corruption Agency to effect necessary legal action against proprietors of private schools found violating laws and regulations of the Private School Act.
“We have seen many buildings collapse in Abuja, Lagos, and other places because of human factors. We would not tolerate that in Kano. You have seen the nature of buildings and environments where some private schools operate in Kano.
“You have witnessed near-collapse and uncompleted structures being used as classrooms. Buildings without windows and doors, classrooms with leaking concrete, classrooms with perforated roofing sheets littered with water. These are the classrooms provided for children to receive lessons,” Baba Umar added.
