The wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has extended her Back-to-School support programme to all pupils of Eziala Central School, Nsulu, in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, by providing them with essential educational materials ahead of the new academic session.
The visit marked the final phase of the annual Back-to-School programme organised by the Safe Tent Care Initiative, which has benefited more than 1,000 pupils from rural communities and high-performing public schools across the 17 local government areas of Abia State.
Speaking during the visit, Mrs. Otti said she would have loved to reach every schoolchild in the state but noted that the initiative had to start somewhere. She thanked God for giving her the opportunity to support the education and future of the children.
The First Lady disclosed that Governor Alex Otti had directed political appointees to visit schools in their respective wards and ensure that schools with poor facilities were renovated to provide a better learning environment for pupils.
She also promised to personally appeal to the governor to consider the renovation of Eziala Central School after observing some of the challenges facing the school.
Mrs. Otti explained that the Back-to-School programme was introduced to reduce the financial burden on parents, especially those struggling to provide basic learning materials for their children. She added that the support would also encourage pupils to remain focused on their education.
The Programme Manager of the Safe Tent Care Initiative, Mr. Chisom Osoka, described the exercise as a rewarding experience, saying it had provided an opportunity to identify and celebrate outstanding pupils from rural communities.
He said the programme had received positive feedback from beneficiaries and members of the public, with many people sharing testimonies about its impact on the lives of the children.
Osoka explained that the decision to end this year’s outreach at Eziala Central School was important because Mrs. Otti directed that all pupils in the school should benefit from the programme, unlike previous distributions that mainly focused on high-performing pupils.
Also speaking, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, described the First Lady as a silent achiever whose efforts and commitment to helping others had continued to make a difference in society.
He said good leadership was not always about seeking public attention but about making positive contributions to people’s lives, even without seeking recognition.
Ajagba commended Mrs. Otti for her various interventions and her commitment to supporting the governor and complementing the development efforts of the Abia State Government.
In her remarks, the Headmistress of Eziala Central School, Mrs. Njoku Onyinye, described the visit as a memorable moment in the history of the school.
She said the support would ease the financial burden on parents, particularly those from low-income families, while encouraging the pupils to take their education seriously.
However, she appealed to the state government to address some of the challenges facing the school. These include inadequate nursery seats, shortage of staff tables and chairs, lack of sporting facilities, textbooks and other teaching materials needed to improve learning.
The items distributed to the pupils included school bags, exercise books, writing materials, food flasks and other essential educational materials.
The initiative is part of efforts to support education, encourage school attendance and give children from rural communities a better opportunity to learn and succeed.
