SOKOTO GOVERNOR GETS HIGH MARKS FOR EDUCATION EFFORTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000113 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL, INR/AA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR SOCI NI SUBJECT: SOKOTO GOVERNOR GETS HIGH MARKS FOR EDUCATION EFFORTS -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Media, civil society, and government representatives generally gave high marks to Sokoto Governor Aliyu Wamakko for his efforts to improved education, but some intended beneficiaries voiced dissatisfaction during a mid-January visit by PolOffs to this northern Nigerian state. Many stated that education had improved, with the state investing in better teachers and providing stipends for transportation and school fees. A group of students, however, voiced concerns over what they viewed as insufficient investment in education and lack of job opportunities after graduation. END SUMMARY. -------------- EDUCATION AND OTHER SUCCESSES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During a mid-January meeting with PolOffs, Sokoto Governor Wamakko listed his greatest success as running a government with "a listening ear," which permitted him to tailor programs to meet the needs of his constituents. He cited his greatest challenges as limited access to resources for meet the needs of state inhabitants, the need to foster greater social responsibility among citizens, and inability to address the needs of villages in rural areas. The Governor listed education, agriculture, and healthcare as his primary areas of focus. He remarked that he wanted to leave a "peaceful and prosperous" state as part of his political legacy. ¶3. (SBU) Political Affairs Permanent Secretary Salihu Muhammad Gatawa separately echoed the Governor's assertion that the state's greatest challenge involved meeting the needs and aspirations of its citizens. Gatawa claimed the administration had improved the quality of education in Sokoto, noting that students not only enjoyed access to free education but that the state had hired more qualified teachers and provided resources required by schools. ¶4. (SBU) Similarly, three representatives of the Sokoto Branch of the Federal Organization of Muslim Women's Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN) agreed that the state government provided adequate support to education. They cited government improvements in higher education, including provision of stipends to students for transportation and school fees. They insisted that students had adequate opportunities for employment after graduating from secondary school, particularly in the health care sector. -------------- BENEFICIARIES PROVIDE DISSENTING VOICE -------------- ¶5. (SBU) In contrast, students at a round table sponsored by the American Corner voiced dissatisfaction with the educational system, asserting that "it costs too much." Students expressed the desire for "quality" education, as opposed to the "mass" education which they said the state currently provides. They called for greater development and openly wondered why Nigeria, "with all its oil money," did not experience development similar to other African countries with access to less revenue. ABUJA 00000113 002 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) One student, who studied previously in the United States, suggested provision of additional resources for science and technology, including computer labs and updated science books. Students complained that insufficient job opportunities existed for students after graduation. One student questioned the value of getting a good education when "one can be corrupt in Nigeria and succeed." -------------- POLITICAL PERCEPTIONS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Journalist Abu Shekara, who also serves as General Manager of the state-owned weekly newspaper "The Path," praised former Governor Bafarawa and current Governor Wamakko for their efforts to develop the state, noting that the former focused on developing infrastructure, while the latter invested more in social programs. Shekara voiced support for the incumbent's re-election to allow him to finish his longer-duration projects. He discounted the perceived strength of opposition parties in the state. The opposition Democratic People's Party (DPP),he argued, appeared stronger in the media than its actual status. Shekara remarked that politicians running in the 2011 elections would not yet actively seek leadership positions. He explained that they would wait to be asked three times because of the Islamic concept that a person who seeks a position of power is not meant to be a leader. SANDERS