THE Niger House of Assembly has called on Governor Umaru Bago to issue an executive order banning the celebration of Markers’ Day and sign-out activities in all public and private secondary and tertiary institutions across the state.
The resolution followed a motion by the member representing Tafa Constituency, Muhammad Idris, who decried the negative consequences associated with such celebrations.
Idris noted that what was initially meant to be a harmless farewell gesture by graduating students has degenerated into unruly behaviour, rising incidents of misconduct, and immoral activities. He warned that the trend threatens the moral and intellectual development that the state’s educational system seeks to promote.
“The ongoing trend of signing out from schools, which is presumably intended to be a celebration by final-year students, has recently been characterised by unruly behaviour and misconduct,” Idris told the lawmakers.
The motion received unanimous support from other lawmakers, who described it as a timely intervention in response to growing public concern.
Presiding over the plenary, the Deputy Speaker, Afiniki Dauda, assured the House that she would liaise with the governor and the Ministry of Education to ensure the ban is swiftly enforced.
In another development, the House passed a Private Member Bill amending the law establishing the Minna Institute of Technology and Innovation. Lawmakers said the amendment was necessary to align the institution’s principal law with current industry trends, modern educational needs, and institutional realities.
