The Bishop of the Sokoto Dioceses, Bishop Mathew Kukah, has noted with dismay the poor level of education in the North, blaming it on public office holders.
Speaking at a high-level town hall meeting on Building Collaborative Pathways for Women’s Inclusion in Peace and Security organised by the Global Right in collaboration with Kukah Foundation on Wednesday, he reminisced how the founding fathers like the late Premier of the defunct Nothern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello introduced mass education o fight ignorance in the North.
“When Sardauna saw what was happening in the South, he brought Yaki Da Jahilci (mass education) to ensure our people know how to write and read.
“But our present politicians are taking our votes, they are not giving us education, rather they are giving us poverty,” he said.
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The Bishop noted that there was no substitute to knowledge, adding that, ignorance was the neighbour of poverty.
He, however, advocated for increased role for women in society, maintaining that the success of a society lied on the creation of a situation whereby every member could contribute to its development.
“Women remain vulnerable in our societies. What do we need to do to change their lives? Because if there is ignorance, there is hunger
“As a woman is getting more education, their responsibilities increases and the family burden on the husband reduces.
“Maigida (husband) can die or lose his job. What will happen to the family, especially if the mother of the house is not doing anything to support the family?” he asked.
He further stated that women could play a key role in maintaining peace and security in the country, saying they could be useful in intelligence gathering.
“We must put our hands together. We need to secure ourselves. Let’s take control of our own lives,” he said.
Also speaking, the district head of Gagi, Umar Sani Jabbi, emphasised the need for women to be allowed to seek education, saying many women were dying as a result of complications related to pregnancy because their husbands didn’t want their wives to be attended to by male gynecologists and nurses.
“If we have more female doctors and nurses, the maternal death will reduce significantly in our societies,” he said.
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