Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar has commended the Bauchi State Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, BASOVCA, for providing ‘health tickets’ system that eases access of over 400 beneficiaries to both medical and clinical services at the Bauchi Specialists hospital and enrolling about 20,000 orphans and vulnerable children into the National Health Insurance Scheme monthly.
Governor Abubakar who gave the commendation while commissioning of the Ambassador M. C. Abubakar Orphans and Vulnerable Children Vocational College constructed by Bauchi State Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children said the “college is an institution founded to extend equal educational opportunities to orphans who are admitted from all the 20 local government areas of the State”.
The governor said commissioning the College “demonstrates the purposeful nature of this government, particularly in the area of inclusive educational intervention. Orphanage and/or vulnerability should not be allowed to be an obstacle to the acquisition of quality education to our youths”.
“The commitment of the administration in the provision of quality education is further demonstrated by the recent signing of memorandum of understanding with international donor partners …. in fulfillment of the obligations on us, and our commitment in paying our counterpart funding as and when due”, the governor noted.
He said the occasion “attests to the guiding principle of the present administration as encapsulated in the change mantra disposition of the APC-led government”, assuring that the administration is determined to continue to uphold the virtues of social empowerment particularly in the “area of human needs with special focus education, health, child protection and the provision of welfare scheme to all our orphans and vulnerable children, including the provision of necessary facilities as enshrined in the social intervention mandate of the Agency”.
Governor Abubakar who stressed that the Agency will continue to strive to fulfill this goal “so that we can fulfill the promises made to the electorates”, reechoed his dedication to the realization of all the “programmes of BASOVCA as contained in the national guidelines and standard of operation of orphans and vulnerable children”.
In a goodwill message, the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu said the problems of orphans and vulnerable children are “becoming prominent, with growing number of widows seeking help” especially during festive periods.
While lamenting that charity is left in the hands of governments and international donor organizations he Emir said the responsibility of orphans and vulnerable children should not be left to the Agency alone, but “for all to see it as everybody’s business”.
Executive Chairman of the Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Hali Abdullahi explained that under the Mohammed Abubakar administration the Agency upgraded the school to a College by building 4 hostels, dining hall, kitchen, toilets and bathrooms, as well as 6 workshops, 3 laboratories, pottery gallery, staff quarters, teaching and non-teaching staff, complete students and school uniforms as well as feeding.
According to the Executive Chairman the College which has departments that teach students vocational courses including electrical/electronic, automobile, building, welding and fabrication, knitting and garments, carpentry and joinery, computer installations and hardware repairs.
The State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Hashimu Gital who is a board member of the Agency stressed that with the achievements recorded, the entire workforce of the State supports the continuation of the deduction of one percent made from workers’ salaries which is used to fund the BASOVCA.
The Nigerian Labour Congress State Chairman therefore urged the government to introduce the contribution of certain percent of all contracts awarded by the state and local government areas to fund the Agency.
areas to fund the Agency.
