Zamfara State Executive Governor, Hon (Dr) Bello Mohammed (Matawalle Maradun) has commenced the payment of the backlog of N1.3 billion NECO examination fees which accrued from 2015 to date.

This was disclosed by the Governor while delivering his speech at the special breakfast organised in honour of the orphans in the state at his Gusau personal residence.

The Governor said that 2018 secondary school students in the state who sat for the NECO examination from public schools have not been able to access their results due to the non-payment of the fees by the previous administration.

The state government under the immediate past administration which promised to be paying the fees had left the debt from 2015 to date despite appeals by parents on the government to save the school leavers.

Governor Matawalle stressed that “education will continue to be one of the priority areas of my administration and it is in order to demonstrate our seriousness that we are going to offset the debt in installments but within the shortest possible time.

“The governor also called on parents to have confidence in his leadership and allow their children to go and sit for the coming NECO examination as the state government has resumed full payment so that the students will not lose out,” he said.