Sani Haruna
Parents of students affected by the closure of tertiary health institutions in Katsina State have appealed to Governor Dikko Umar Radda to review the reports of the two committees responsible for the shutdown and to reopen the schools for academic activities.
The appeal was made by the Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association of Alliance School of Health Science, Shema, Dutsinma, Malam Sani Ahmed, during a press conference held in Dutsinma.
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Malam Sani Ahmed commended the government’s efforts to sanitize the system, noting that it is essential for ensuring that healthcare professionals are properly trained.
However, he emphasized that such reforms can be implemented without halting academic activities.
He also recommended the inclusion of professional and regulatory bodies in the process to ensure the exercise is both academically and professionally credible.
He criticized the outcome of the two committees’ investigations, alleging that their findings lack merit and were influenced by political sentiments.
According to him, such reports will not bring positive results to Governor Radda’s administration.
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Another parent, Malam Shamsu, voiced concern over the implications of the closure, stating that more than 10,000 students have been left idle, increasing the risk of youth involvement in criminal activities.
He accused the committees of acting in self-interest and misleading the government, noting that some institutions that met the required standards were still closed.
He also lamented the financial burden parents had borne to support their children’s education, only for the institutions to be closed without prior notice, leaving many students out on the streets and resorting to begging.
Malama Nana, a mother of three students at Alliance School and a widow, shared her struggles in sponsoring her children’s education despite economic hardship.
She appealed to the governor to consider the plight of families like hers and reopen the remaining 22 closed institutions.
“To educate a woman is to educate a nation,” she added, stressing the importance of the students’ contributions to healthcare services across the state.
Student representatives Rabilu Kabir and Fatima Abdullahi also made passionate pleas to Governor Radda, urging him to allow them to resume their studies.
They pointed out that students in other states have continued with their academic programs, putting them at a disadvantage.
The parents, students, and stakeholders collectively called on the Katsina State Government to reconsider its decision and find a balanced approach that allows reforms to continue without jeopardizing the future of thousands of students.