Taiwo Hassan 
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has commissioned a 60-classroom community school for higher Islamic studies, built and donated by the state government in Biu town, Borno State recently. According to the governor, the Higher Islamic school system enables students with certain level of Quranic knowledge, gained from traditional Islamiyas, to transit into western education for diploma programmes, and the diplomas can qualify them for admissions into universities and other tertiary schools.
The commissioned school was initiated and run by community members in an aged building, before Zulum approved the construction of an entirely new and far bigger-size school from scratch to finish. Aside commissioning the school, Governor Zulum handed over a cheque of N40 million to proprietor of the school, Alhaji Mohammed ‘Young’ Kidda.
The N40 million is support from the State Government for community- based managers of the school to pay salaries of staff over a period of time. Zulum promised to sustain Government’s support for the school. Commissioner for Education, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe explained that “the school will implement the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) curriculum”, and the “institution is expected to run the Junior Islamic Studies (JIS), Senior Islamic Studies (SIS) and a Diploma Programme”. Wakilbe noted that the sixty (60) classroom mega school has six offices, three staff common room, and is equipped with 1,200 students’ desks, while each of 60 classrooms has a chair and table for teachers and white marker board to aid teaching.
The commissioned highlighted that the school which is (obviously) fully fenced, landscaped and flowered, has been connected to National grid for power supply, while it has water supply facilities with 13 wash rooms. After commissioning, Governor Zulum formally launched the distribution of textbooks to the community school for higher Islamic studies.
The Governor also distributed 200 bicycles to pupils said to be trekking between three to five kilometers “from Mzita community in Dueja ward of Biu Local Government Area, to attend Tum primary school” located outside where they live.
The Commissioner said Zulum upon being told the plight of the pupils, approved allocation of bicycles “to every pupil in that community” and “we have identified 200 pupils” to benefit today. Emir of Biu, Mai Mustapha Umar Mustapha II (the second) thanked and commended Governor Zulum for siting numerous developmental projects across towns and villages in Biu LGA as well other Local Government Areas under Biu Emirate.
