Abia begins move to revamp public schools

The Abia State government has constituted an 8-man special committee to recover about 180 encumbered public schools in the state.

The committee is headed by Pastor Celeb Ajagba, the Chief of staff to the state Governor with Prof. Uche Eme Uche, Commissioner for Education, as Secretary

Briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council , the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu said the committee is charged with the responsibility of identifying public schools whose parcels of land were taken over by officials of the immediate past administration and their cronies.

According to the commissioner, “Under the reformation process of the Education sector, about 12, 000 teachers in public schools will undergo a capacity building program during this long holidays, to prepare them for the take-off of the new curricula to be introduces in all Government schools from September, this year. Government has also advised organizations who find it difficult to run schools already handed over to them (individuals and Missions)by government to return same to government for better management.

“In addition work has commenced at the Federal College of Education, Ofeme, Umuahia North LGA, fully supported by the Abia State Government. The state government has supported the college to secure an office at the Okpara- round- about for a smooth take off of activity.”

According to Kanu, “Government would not tolerate the greed and mindless impunity by a privileged few who surreptitiously took-over lands belonging to government schools. Government equally condemned the misuse of schools handed back to different organizations, stressing that such schools must be used exclusively for educational purposes.

“The state government has condemned the misuse and misapplication of schools that have been handed over to different organizations. Such schools must be used exclusively for educational activities.”

It will be recalled that some privileged persons had during the Okezie Ikpeazu administration converted school premises as personal lands.

Some used them as worship centres, while others built residential homes, shops and stores as well as rented them out for money.

However, on the use of vehicle number plates, Prince Kanu warned that henceforth, those driving without vehicle number plates or hooded number plates would have their vehicles impounded by security agencies and treated accordingly.

On the progress of the ‘Light- Up Abia Initiative,’ Kanu said the programme has continued and gone a notch higher. The rural electrification initiative of the state government is executed in the three senatorial zones of the state.

“It is appropriate to note that over 2,500 solar powered light panels had been installed across the state, majorly between Umuahia, Aba, Ohafia and such other isolated institutions like Abia state University, Uturu,” he said

Kanu noted that government would soon resuscitate the rural electrification project in the rural communities disclosing that 50 transformers would be distributed to selected communities across the state.

He further disclosed that the revamping of Ariaria and Ubakala water projects would soon commence.

Contributing, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday hinted that the water project which is being financed by USAID is targeted at revamping two water schemes.

“These water schemes are to be revamped and reticulated to 320 homes each. So, you are talking about 640 homes. It’s completely our partners that are financing the water scheme,” he said. “They have been going through the process of hiring the contractors that will execute it.”

Responding to questions, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, dismissed the rumour making the rounds that the staff of office of the newly coronated Eze Aro, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji has been withdrawn from him by a High court order, saying the state government, which gave Staff of Office to the new Aro, is yet to get such a court order.

“It’s government that issues staff of office to qualified Eze-elects. It’s government that recognizes every Eze. When you are coronated you are issued with staff of office, you are given a certificate,” he said.

“And those processes were completely adhered to. No person who has not been recognized, who has not gone through the processes, has the locus standi to challenge the coronated Eze.”

On allegation that civil servants are compelled to open accounts with Signature Bank, Ekeoma dismissed such as false and misleading.

He made it clear that both civil and public servants in Abia have the authority to operate accounts with any bank of their choice.

Also, answering a question, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha explained that the office of the Chief Press Secretary to the governor is embarking on the update of the activities of the MDAs to present pictorial representations in form of still and motion pictures and put them in a documentary form to showcase the various achievements of Governor Alex Otti in various MDAs

Mr Ukoha said that those documentaries would be released on daily bases, adding that, “Amidst criticisms from the oppositions, those documentaries would be used to give proper information of what the government is really doing with pictorial evidence.”