The Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said that one of the main agendas of his administration is to provide a decent education for every child in the state.

He said this on Thursday while noting that he was not born with a silver spoon but was given the opportunity to go to school, hence the desire to do the same for less privileged children.

“I started life in rural Daudawa as the son of a pensioner. Without public education, I would not have gone to school. I believe that the children of the poor are entitled to the same opportunities that I was given.

“Therefore, we have a governance mission to provide ordinary people and their offspring a sustainable ladder for social mobility. Our purpose in government is to promote equality of opportunity, to give every child the best prospects through decent education.

“It is to secure for our young people employment opportunities in a vibrant economy, regulated by a competent public service. It is about giving everyone a fair chance in the race of life! It is about being there for the people and seeking to empower them, not creating and exploiting dependency,” he said.

This comes months after the government sacked about 21,000 teachers following their “poor performance” in a competency test organised in the state.

The teachers in reaction to the move commenced an indefinite strike on January 8. They also planned to take to the streets on Thursday in a protest despite warnings by the government and state security officials. Read Here