Professor Ruqqayatu Ahmed Rufai who
was relieved of her appointment as
Education Minister along with eight
other Ministers by President Goodluck
Jonathan has indicated her intention to
return to Bayero University , Kano where
she was formerly a lecturer.
While handing over to the Minister of
State for Education, Barrister Nyesom
Wike who is presently the acting
Minister of Education , the former
Minister expressed gratitude to
President Jonathan for allowing her to
serve in his cabinet also promised to
always support the President.Professor
Rufai who spent three years in the office
introduced Four Year Strategic Plan for
the development of education sector .
She also masterminded the introduction
of Integrated Quranic Education for the
Almajiri as well as construction of model
Integrated Quranic schools for the
Almajiri .
The federal government also established
12 federal universities in 12 states that
were hitherto without federal
universities .
Her words: ” I want to use this medium
to thank Allah for giving me the
opportunity to serve in the Federal
Ministry of Education for a period of
well over three years, let me also thank
Mr . President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
who I must say I enjoyed working with ,
he has a listening eye , he loves
education , he has been supportive.
“ There was no time I can say that I was
with the president that I regretted
working with him, I will forever pray for
him and his chamber and all the team
for the growth and development of this
nation . But most importantly , let me
also thank the minister of state for
education for the time we spent
together that has been in my character
to always carry everybody along because
I know one day this day is coming and if
it doesn’t come we may die .
“ So we are favoured that we are even
seeing today and I have to thank my
Honourable Minister for the working
relationship these two years that we
have been together, of course there may
be time the pressure of the office may
be really much, there are times that we
may not be happy with each other but
over all we enjoyed working with each
other.
“ I am going to take over my office in
Bayero University Kano , its very
important for you to know that I have
been a commissioner for three years
before coming here , I am just on
secondment from my university and I
have been here through God’s grace and
it is my Governor , Sule Lamido who
nominated me to be here , so I thank
him for that opportunity , but now that
I have this scenario am going back to
report in office as a professor of
curriculum Studies in Bayero University .
“ Let me hand over but I know that
taking over will make you to do more,
here in the ministry , we need to update
our data to 2012 or at least 2011 so
this is the process in the Ministry , it is
a two year plan, so this will be your
time to continue to do it .We are also in
the process of finishing the mid term
report for this year in terms of having
about three year mandate , so by the
time that one is done by the end of next
year , you can see the end of your plan
and this is a very good initiative that we
all started together with you.”
Wike after much emotion said : “Since I
met you, we have been working very
closely , when you work with somebody
that you are very close to and the
person is no longer their , you must feel
bad“ We want to thank you for the
leadership and support that you have
shown to this ministry and the motherly
support that you have shown to
everyone and I can assure you that some
of us will keep the relationship because
we do not know, where we will meet .
“ This came to me as a shock , although I
knew that we cannot be here forever
but I always assumed that one of us will
simply go to another ministry but not to
end up the way it did but God known ’s
best .
“ So I urge you directors and everyone to
continue to work like you did when she
was here to move the education family
ahead because if we do not , it will also
affect that where she is going to.”
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