As part of efforts to reform the Education Sector, the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has constituted a Special Committee tasked with recovering all alienated and incumbered government schools in the state.
The Committee which is headed by the Chief of staff to the Governor, Pastor Calab Ajagba, has the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uche Eme Uche as Secretary.
Other members of the Committee include the the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; Barr. Ikechukwu Uwana, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr Chaka Chukwumerije, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Prince Uzor Nwachukwu.
The rest are; the General Manager UCDA;Mr Kingsley Agomuoh, the General Manage Greater Aba Development Agency; Mr Uche Ukeje and the Chief Security Officer to the Governor, Sir Ken Nwosu
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu disclosed this on Monday while briefing Journalists on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council Meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Prince Kanu listed the Committee’s terms of reference to include, “the identification and recovery of all alienated and incumbered schools in the state”, noting that “there are about 180 schools involved across the state”.
The Commissioner while expressing governments commitment to the overall reformation of the education sector revealed that a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of the educational sector has been completed.
He further disclosed that the state government, in collaboration with a team of consultants, have been working on revamping the school curriculum adding that 12,000 teachers across the state will undergo extensive training during the summer break to prepare them for the new academic year that would commence in September.
Prince Kanu emphasized that the present administration would not tolerate the greed of a privileged few who have over the period surreptitiously acquired land belonging to schools.
He condemned the misuse and misapplication of schools handed over to missions and other organizations and insisted that schools must be used exclusively for educational activities .
Prince Kanu advised any organizations or religious groups struggling to manage schools handed over to it by government to return same to the state government without further delay.
He announced that work has commenced at the Federal College of Education, Ofeme, Umuahia North LGA, adding that the state government has supported the college to secure office accommodation at the Okpara round about for a smooth take off of activities.
Contributing, 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 on documentary form to showcase various achievements of governor Alex Otti in various MDAs
“Those documentaries would be used to give proper information of what the government is really doing with pictorial evidence”, the Governor’s Aide stated.
