10m out-of-school children shameful -Ex-Rep Katung

Sunday Katung, a former member representing Zango-Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has described as troubling and disturbing the 10 million out-of-school children across the country.

More devastating, Katung said, was that out of the 10 million children, 69 per cent were from the North.

Katung, while addressing newsmen at a press conference in Kaduna on Sunday, said the startling figures were unacceptable and needed pragmatic measures to tackle the education deficit in the region.

He argued that the only way out was for well-meaning Nigerians to give back to society through assistance to vulnerable students for their educational pursuits.

Specifically announcing a scholarship scheme under the ‘Marshal Katung Foundation’, the PDP’s Deputy Governorship candidate in the 2019 General Elections, said the foundation was out to offer scholarships to vulnerable students cut across 10 local government areas.

According to him, the scholarship was principally for eligible indigent students drawn from 10 LGAs comprising of Chikun, Kajuru, Kachia, Zango kataf, Jaba, kauru, Kaura, Jemaa, Sanga, and Kagarko, studying in Kaduna State University, College of Education Gidan Waya, Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, and College of Nursing, Kafanchan.

Katung also admonished the Kaduna State Government to harken to the voice of the people and reduce the tuition fee hike in tertiary institutions in the state, adding that “this increment is coming amid a global economic contraction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Katung contested under the party flagship of the PDP in 2015 and got elected as a member of Federal House of Representatives, representing Jaba/Zangon Kataf Federal constituency of Kaduna State. His moral principles while still in serving in the Federal House of Representatives had been: “A free market economy with a social conscience, family values, community empowerment and human rights in a federal system.”

In 2018, he emerged as the deputy governorship candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Kaduna State governorship aspirant, Hon. Isah Ashiru.