Yola — The Adamawa House of Assembly has passed a bill for the deduction of senior secondary school education development tax from all contracts awarded by the state and local governments.

The bill was passed by the House, shortly after submission of report on the bill by chairman of the committee on finance, appropriation and budget, Alhaji Usman Lamorde.

Speaker of the House, who presided over the sitting, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, has directed the clerk to prepare a clean copy of the bill for the governor's assent.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the passage of the bill, the sponsor, Alhaji Abubakar Jarengol, said the development would go a long way in tackling the problem of dilapidated structures in secondary schools in the state.

Jarengol observed that unlike primary schools, junior secondary schools and tertiary institutions, who get ÃœBE and TETFUND assistance alongside state government in improving their facilities, senior secondary schools depend on state government for its needs.

"With this development, we will have another source of fund to take care of our senior secondary schools structures, library and laboratories among others", Jarengol said.