Education, Health sectors under threat in Abia

From PETER OKORE, Umuahia

For several months now happenings in the education and health sectors in Abia state have been of great worry to the citizenry.

For instance, teachers in Abia state were on strike and just resumed for the sake of their children. Local Government workers are agitating over unpaid salaries. Resident doctors have been on warning strike for about 24 months over non-payment of salaries and allowances.

The National Universities Commission, NUC, withdrew accreditation to the School of Medical Sciences and Surgery in Abia State University, Uturu over backlog of un-paid salaries.

The implication is that no more fresh admissions of new students , while those already in are left to mourn their fate. The fate of students, wards and parents had been nothing to ride home about. It is regrettable to note that the UN specified critical areas like healthcare, education and agriculture of a developing nation should take 25 percent of their annual budgets.

Secondly, Abia health workers, under the state Health Management Board, have intermittently closed their gates in protest for non-payments of salary for months.

Pensioners have been on the streets every fortnight demanding their un-paid pensions and gratuities for years. Most of them are demanding their pension money to buy drugs The plight of patients and pensioners have became a matter of great regret, having spent active periods of their livesworking for government .

The impacts of these pathetic cases have given kudos to quacks to thrive, or for those who can afford it, at any prevalent cost.

Amidst all these threats to life facing the education and health sectors in the state , another bang came knocking on the doors of Abia state , when the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, withdrew accreditation to Abia state Polytechnic, Aba over non-payments of backlogs of salaries and emoluments.

This meant that two out of three State-owned tertiary institution have been denied Accreditations under two months.

The remaining institution was College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, which has given a warning signal to go on strike over backlog of salaries and emoluments owed them for years. Yet people under whose care these institutions are, are still clamoring for higher positions in government.

Eventually, the lingering crisis that rocked State Tertiary institutions is gradually easing out and anxieties going down.

One can imagine a situation where two of State tertiary institutions were denied accreditations. The situation actually became a source of concern to Abians at home and in Diaspora. It came as a blow to interested persons; particularly parents. More worrisome is the fact that de-accreditation came at a time Universities have been shut their gates following ASUU’s six months strike. In all these, the complaints hitch around salaries and emoluments to personnel.

However, the cheering news that gladdened the hearts of Abians and residents, last week, was that the accreditation of Abia State Polytechnic Aba has been restored. This is also as the State government has released the sum of N450Million to Abiapoly to enable it offset four months’ salary.

This gesture followed pressures mounted on NBTE by stakeholders, students and state government as well as Abians at home and in Diaspora to restore the accreditation in the interest of humanity, justice and peace in Abia.

This heart-warming news is contained in a release made available to journalists in Umuahia by the Chief press secretary to the state governor, Mr. Onyebuchi Ememanka. The fate of Abia state University Medical School is still uncertain ,as at time of doing this report.

But while speaking at the inauguration of the new Governing council of the Abia state University,(ABSU), Uturu, recently, Governor Ikpeazu hinted that an additional N150 Million would be released to the University, in excess of the sum of Two hundred Million Naira(N200M), already made available to them to offset backlog of salaries.

It wil be recalled that the Head, Media Department of National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, Fatima Abubaka in a statement explained that the Accreditation for Abia Polytechnic, Aba was withdrawn for a number of reasons; including the fact that Abia Polytechnic had not shown any commitment towards offsetting the arrears of salaries owed to staff of the institution and ensuring regular payment of salaries.

Secondly, management of Abiapoly had been shunning Quality Assurance visits to the institution; and thirdly that the Board of Technical Education, NBTE had written a letter to the Abia state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu , informing him about the looming danger that was awaiting the institution, but to no avail. The spokesperson for the NBTE further hinted that the hammer came too late, as she put it,” as there were many dubious anomalies that had gained grounds in the institution”.

Also briefing Journalists on the development at Government House Umuahia, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barr Eze Chikamnayo explained that the restoration of accreditation followed the release of the sum of 450 Million Naira to the institution as well as the interface between the committee set-up by the Abia State government and officials of the NBTE.

The Commissioner gave the assurance that the State Government has put- in measures to ensure sustainable best practices at the institution going forward. He promised that everything needed for the smooth– running of the institution has been provided to ensure uninterrupted academic session. For the first time Abiapoly has opened a single treasury Account ,STA, with a reputable Commercial Bank.

Few Abians reacted to the crisis rocking the Education and Health sectors in Abia state. In his comment, a security expert and Interpol consultant, Sir Chikwe Udensi, commended the NBTE and state government for their efforts in restoring accreditation to the institution. He also prayed that the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of ABSU should also regain its accreditation.

In his words:” Denying workers their salary is a criminal offence. Must we wait for withdrawal of accreditation to Abia poly before salaries are paid? You do not have to wait until an institution loses accreditation, before you pay them salary. The opening of STA (Single Treasury Account) is a good thing the Abia state government has achieved by the de-accreditation of Abiapoly. STA ensures accountability and transparency in expenditure as well as minimizes revenue leakages, which had been the major challenge to the growth and development of Abiapoly.

In his own comment, a Methodist Bishop and President of an Umuahia-based Radio station, Dr. Sunday Onuoha counseled the Abia state government to declare state of emergency on the education sector.

He also tasked the federal government on ASUU Strike and bemoaned the sorry state of the education sector in Abia . He passionately appealed to the Federal Government to consider the economy, future of the country and resolve all academic issues.

Onuoha who is also the 2023 Governorship Candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Abia state in a statement in Umuahia, described as shameful the lingering ASUU strike, stating that the Federal Government has not shown any seriousness to issues bothering education in Nigeria.

The ADC Governorship Candidate decried the ailing state of Education in Abia State, insisting that the withdrawal of accreditation to Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, by the National Board for Technical Education would not have happened if Abia State government has done its work very well.

According to him, it behoves on Abia State government (Governor) to hire and fire the managers of Abia State Polytechnic, hence, nothing tangible has been done to end the mesmerizing of the revenue and government subvention over the years the crisis lasted. He noted that a lot of Aba artisans are taking the advantage of the strategic location of Abiapoly to acquire more knowledge, but expressed worry on their fate since the institution would not be on session.

Bishop Onuoha pointed that the lukewarm approach of the government to critical issues has great negative effects on the society especially now, security is the talk of the day. He warned that the future of Abia and her citizens should not be toyed with and reminded Abia State government that Abians are earnestly waiting to see what will befall those who diverted institution’s money to their private pockets.

In his remarks, an Educationist, Dr. Kevin Ukwu called on the state Ministries of Education and his Health counterpart to “wake up from their slumber” and go about their control and supervisory duties over the institutions under their Ministries. He blamed the faulty implementation of the country’s 6-3-3-4 Education system and called for the proper implementation, saying that the system emphasises thst the child gains one or two skill before leaving school. “ students now roam about town because they have leant no skill to keep themselves busy.

According to Ukwu, a lot of issues are happening in the schools but are covered because of the lapses by controlling ministries. “ Does it mean that salaries of those workers are not included in the state annual budget? Or are monies mapped out for salaries spent in frivolities?”

On his own part, Speaker of Abia House of Assembly, Chief Chinedum Orji mandated the House committee on Health to turn-in its report on the loss of Accreditation of College of Medicine, Abia state University , Uturu for action. He also frowned at the loss of accreditation of Abia Polytechnic Aba and later set-up a 7-man committee headed by Mr. Emeka Okoroafor, to scrutinize how funds released to the institution (Abiapoly) by Government were expended with a view to helping in finding solution to the crisis that led to the loss of accreditation.

On the whole, in-as-much-as accreditation has been restored to Abiapoly, there is a general prayer for the state government to visit the institution to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crisis in Education system. In the state. House of Assembly should also exercise her oversight functions, just as the Commissioners controlling MDA’s. It is also of public interest to re-claim the accreditation of the college of Medicine of ABSUU and other faculties threatened in the University.