EXTRA: Katsina assembly considers motion to convert viewing centres to Islamic schools

The Katsina state house of assembly is considering a motion seeking to convert all television viewing centres across the 34 local government areas in the state into Islamic schools.

Mustapha Yusuf-Jibia, a member representing Jibia constituency, presented the joint motion on Tuesday at the plenary session presided over by Tasi’u Maigari, the assembly’s speaker.

Yusuf-Jibia said the call became necessary because the schools were more important than the viewing centres.

According to NAN, he said Islamic education had suffered setbacks in most of the areas, especially the rural areas, adding that if his prayer succeeded, the conversion would also assist in reducing the spate of insecurity in the state.

While citing an instance during a dialogue with some bandits where they complained of lack of schools for their children, he said the conversion would be an opportunity to enroll the bandits’ children.

“If my prayer scales through, it will also help in reducing the number of Almajiri children roaming the streets in the name of begging,” he said.

“Some of these viewing centres were abandoned and had become refuse dumps, criminal hideouts and a place where redundant youths hang around.”

According to him, if the centres were converted, the government will recruit teachers to teach in the schools which would provide employment for the people.

“Not only the government, but also the wealthy individuals and philanthropists in the areas can employ them,” he said.

After deliberations by the lawmakers, the house ordered its joint committees on religious affairs and that of social development, to study the appropriateness of the conversion.

The house also ordered the committees to assess the number of those centres and also the non-functional Islamic schools across the state and report back within three months.